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508.47 REGISTERED LANDS; TRANSFER, SURVEYS.
    Subdivision 1. Conveyances. An owner of registered land may convey, mortgage, lease,
charge, or otherwise deal with the same as fully as if it had not been registered. An owner
of registered land may use any form of deed, mortgage, lease, or other voluntary instrument
sufficient in law for the purpose intended. No voluntary instrument of conveyance purporting to
convey or affect registered land, except a will, and a lease for a term not exceeding three years,
shall take effect as a conveyance, or bind or affect the land, but shall operate only as a contract
between the parties, and as authority to the registrar to make registration. The act of registration
shall be the operative act to convey or affect the land.
    Subd. 2. Registered land survey. The registrar of titles may require that the owner of a
parcel of unplatted registered land, who conveys any part thereof which is not a full government
subdivision, or simple fractional or quantity part of a full government subdivision, shall first file
with the registrar of titles a drawing in triplicate of said parcel of unplatted land, showing the tract
or tracts being or to be conveyed, which drawing shall be known as a "registered land survey."
    Subd. 3. Definitions. (a) A full government subdivision is defined as a government lot, a
quarter-quarter section, a quarter-quarter-quarter section ad infinitum;
(b) A simple fractional part of a full government subdivision is defined as: one-half;
two-thirds; one-fourth, and similar fractions;
(c) A simple quantity part of a full government subdivision is defined as: 20 acres; 200 feet,
ten chains, and similar quantities.
    Subd. 4. Survey; requisites; filing; copies. The registered land survey shall correctly show
the legal description of the parcel of unplatted land represented by said registered land survey
and the outside measurements of the parcel of unplatted land and of all tracts delineated therein,
the direction of all lines of said tracts to be shown by angles or bearings or other relationship
to the outside lines of said registered land survey, and the surveyor shall place monuments in
the ground at appropriate corners, and all tracts shall be lettered consecutively beginning with
the letter "A." A registered land survey which delineates multilevel tracts shall include a map
showing the elevation view of the tracts with their upper and lower boundaries defined by
elevations referenced to National Geodetic Vertical Datum, 1929 adjustment. None of said tracts
or parts thereof may be dedicated to the public by said registered land survey. Except in counties
having microfilming capabilities, a reproduction copy of the registered land survey shall be
delivered to the county auditor. The registered land survey shall be on paper, mounted on cloth,
shall be a black on white drawing, the scale to be not smaller than one inch equals 200 feet, and
shall be certified to be a correct representation of said parcel of unplatted land by a registered
surveyor. The mounted drawing shall be either 17 inches by 14 inches or at the registrar's request
20 inches by 30 inches and not less than 2-1/2 inches of the 14 inches or the 20 inches shall be
blank for binding purposes, and such survey shall be filed in triplicate with the registrar of titles.
Before filing, however, any survey shall be approved in the manner required for the approval of
subdivision plats, which approval shall be endorsed on it or attached to it.
At the time of filing, a certificate from the treasurer that current taxes have been paid must be
presented before the survey is accepted by the registrar for filing.
In counties having microfilming capabilities, the survey may be prepared on sheets of
suitable mylar or on linen tracing cloth by photographic process or on material of equal quality.
Notwithstanding any provisions of subdivision 5 to the contrary, no other copies of the survey
need be filed.
The registrar shall duly certify and furnish to any person a copy of said registered land
survey, which shall be admissible in evidence.
    Subd. 5. Filing registered land survey. The registered land survey shall be filed in the
office of the registrar of titles, who shall number each registered land survey, the numbers to
run consecutively beginning with the number "1." One copy of each registered land survey
shall be retained by the registrar of titles as a master copy, one copy filed in a registered land
survey register in the registrar's office and made available to the public, and one copy delivered to
the county auditor who may thereafter refer to it in connection with the tax descriptions when
convenient. Thereafter the tracts in each registered land survey shall be known as Tract .....,
registered land survey No. ...., and all conveyances shall describe said property accordingly; but
the registrar shall not accept for filing and registration any conveyance of unplatted registered
land if the land is described in the conveyance according to a registered land survey which has
not been approved as provided in subdivision 4 unless the approval of the body authorized to
approve subdivision plats is endorsed thereon or attached thereto.
    Subd. 6. Not to change tax classification. Nothing in this section shall operate to change the
tax classification of the lands in the registered land survey or otherwise in any way affect the land.
The purpose of this section is to simplify the description and designation of the registered land
in connection with its transfer. Land conveyed by reference to a registered land survey shall be
deemed to be conveyed by metes and bounds.
    Subd. 7. Transfers of lot, block parts. The provisions of this section shall also be applied to
the transfer of parts of lots, outlots and unlotted blocks, when the language necessary to describe
the parts in other than by simple fractional or quantity parts thereof.
History: (8293) RL s 3415; 1905 c 305 s 45; 1951 c 566 s 1; 1953 c 504 s 1; 1959 c 380
s 1; 1961 c 626 s 1,2; 1967 c 470 s 1; 1971 c 63 s 3; 1974 c 493 s 2; 1978 c 499 s 3; 1983
c 92 s 12; 1985 c 16 s 1,2; 1985 c 281 s 14; 1985 c 300 s 27; 1986 c 444; 1994 c 388 art 3
s 14; 1999 c 11 art 1 s 21

Official Publication of the State of Minnesota
Revisor of Statutes