Title 1 — Government Organization.

The Surveyor of the District of Columbia shall receive a salary in lieu of fees, and shall be appointed by the Mayor of the District of Columbia for a term of 4 years, unless sooner removed for cause, and shall be under the direction and control of the said Mayor.

The Surveyor shall take and subscribe an oath or affirmation before the Mayor that he will faithfully and impartially discharge the duties of his office, which oath shall be deposited with the Mayor of the District of Columbia.

The Mayor of the District of Columbia, on the recommendation of the Surveyor, is hereby authorized to appoint 1 Assistant Surveyor, and such employees as may in the judgment of the Mayor of the District of Columbia be required for the Surveyor’s office and operation.

The Assistant Surveyor shall take the same oath his principal is required to take, and may, during the continuance of his office, discharge and perform any of the official duties of his principal.

The Office of the Surveyor of the District shall be the legal office of record of the plats and subdivisions of all private property in the District of Columbia and of all property belonging to the District of Columbia. The copies of all records of the division of squares and lot…

The Surveyor shall keep his office in a room designated by the Mayor for the purpose, and shall not be engaged in the transaction of any business appertaining to any other office or appointment which may be held by him, and shall in his said office preserve and keep all such maps…

All records, or copies thereof, of the divisions of squares and lots heretofore made between the public and the original proprietors, or which are authorized by this chapter, shall be kept in the Office of the Surveyor of the District of Columbia, and the Surveyor shall put up, l…

All papers, plats, books, maps, and records of his office shall be deemed the property of the District of Columbia, and shall constitute a part of the public records; and in all cases of vacancy in the office, by resignation or otherwise, they shall be transferred to his successo…

After May 18, 1910, the recording of all instruments filed for record in the Office of the Surveyor of the District of Columbia may be done with book typewriters.

The plats and squares and subdivisions of the City of Washington shall be drawn upon a uniform scale of not less than 1 inch to 50 feet, and shall show the lines of all subdivisions of the squares as the same existed at the date of the completion of each square.

All transcripts from such records certified by the Surveyor shall be prima facie evidence thereof.

Whenever the President shall deem it necessary to subdivide any square or lot belonging to the United States within the City of Washington, not reserved for public purposes, into convenient building lots or portions for sale and occupancy, and alleys for their accommodation, he m…

The Council of the District of Columbia is authorized and directed to make and publish such general orders as may be necessary to regulate the platting and subdividing of all lands and grounds in the District of Columbia under the jurisdiction of the Mayor; and no such plat or su…

All spaces on any duly recorded plat of land thereon designated as streets, avenues, or alleys shall thereupon become public ways, provided they are made in conformity with § 1-1313.

If by the extension of any of the present streets or avenues or the opening of any public way it becomes necessary to traverse any grounds now used as a cemetery or place of burial, the Mayor is empowered to secure a right-of-way through the same by stipulation with the proprieto…

Except as specifically provided for elsewhere in this chapter with respect to surveying work authorized to be performed by a registered land surveyor, it shall be the duty of the Surveyor to execute any surveying work for the District of Columbia without charge, on the order of t…

The Surveyor shall, as speedily as possible, execute any order of survey made by any court or private individual of any lot or square within the City of Washington, or of any land within the District of Columbia outside of said City, and shall make due return of a true plat and c…

Whenever the proprietor of any tract or parcel of land in the District of Columbia shall desire or deem it necessary to subdivide or alter boundaries, or change the surveys of any such tract or parcel of land, such subdivision, alteration, or change shall be by the Surveyor of th…

The Surveyor shall, or a registered land surveyor may, on the request of the proprietor or proprietors of any square, lot, or piece of ground within the District of Columbia set out and mark the proper lines, and furnish to him, her, or them a certificate describing the dimension…

Whenever the proprietor of any square or lot shall deem it necessary to subdivide the same into convenient building lots or portions for sale and occupancy and alleys for their accommodation, he may cause a plat to be made by the Surveyor or a registered land surveyor, on which s…

At the request of the proprietor the Surveyor shall examine whether the lots or parcels into which any square or lot may be subdivided as provided in § 1-1320 agree in dimensions with the whole of the square or lot so intended to be subdivided, and whether the dimensions expresse…

When a subdivision of any square or lot shall be so certified, examined, and recorded, the purchaser of any part thereof or any person interested therein may refer to the plat and record for description in the same manner as to squares and lots divided between the Mayor and origi…

The ways, alleys, or passages laid out or expressed on any plat of subdivision shall be and remain at all times under the same police regulations as the alleys laid off by the Mayor on division with the original proprietors.

Whenever the Surveyor or a registered land surveyor shall lay off any lot, or any parts into which a square or lot may be subdivided, as provided in this chapter, the Surveyor or a registered land surveyor shall measure the whole of that front of the square on which said lot or p…

Whenever, on such admeasurement, the wall of a house previously erected by any proprietor shall appear to stand on the adjoining lot of any other person in part less than 7 inches in width thereon, such wall shall be considered as standing altogether on the land of such proprieto…

If the wall of any house already erected cover 7 inches or more in width of the adjoining lot, it shall be deemed a party wall, according to the regulations for building in the District, and the ground so occupied more than 7 inches in width shall be paid for as provided in § 1-1…

The Surveyor or a registered surveyor shall ascertain and certify, and the Surveyor may put on record, at the request and expense of any person interested therein, the fact of the occupation of land by a party wall, as mentioned in § 1-1326.

It shall be the duty of the Surveyor or registered land surveyor to attend and examine the foundation or walls of any house to be erected for the purpose of adjusting the line of the front of such building to the line of the street and correctly placing the party wall on the line…

(a)(1) The Mayor, pursuant to subchapter I of Chapter 5 of Title 2 [§ 2-501 et seq.], may establish and revise the fees and additional charges for services rendered by the Surveyor of the District of Columbia. The fees shall be established by the Mayor in such amounts as, in the …