Frequent Asked Questions
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Where can I get a recorded plat of my property?
Owen County Mapping Dept. has a continuous parcel map available in either printed or digital format. If you know the Parcel Number, Parcel Owner, Street or the Section/Township/Range then you can find a parcel via the online map located in the links tab of this website. If it is a recorded subdivision you can obtain a subdivision plat from the Owen County Recorder's office.
What is a Section ?
In U.S land surveying, a section is an area nominally one mile square, containing 640 acres (2.6 km²). Nominally, 36 sections make up a survey township on a rectangular grid. As the townships are based on meridians (of longitude) which converge towards the north pole, some sections which vary slightly in size are necessary to compensate. These unusually sized sections generally occur at the northern- or western-most edges of townships.
Where can I get a County Map?
Printed County Road maps are available at the County GIS office, at 60 S Main St, Spencer, In 47460, starting at a price of $5. Specialty maps are available at the Owen County Mapping Dept. Pricing varies depending on amount of work involved. Digital property maps are located at the Owen County Online Parcel map link located in the links section of this site.
Why was my survey drawing not recorded when my property was surveyed ?
Indiana has only recently required a survey to be recorded when specific circumstances exist; A) creation of a new tax parcel, B) a previously unrecorded survey, or C) when the recent survey differs from the description of record.
What is a “legal survey”?
A legal survey is a process whereby a landowner may establish the location of the line between the landowner’s land and that of an adjoining landowner. This usually occurs when a discrepancy exists in title descriptions or poor boundary monumentation exist. IC 36-2-12-10(b)
Does Owen County create legal surveys or descriptions?
Owen County currently doesn't have the capacity to preform a legal survey within state statues and regulations. Please consult the surveyor listing above for local surveyors.
What is a Floodplain?
A Floodplain is: The channel proper and the areas adjoining the channel which have been or hereafter may be covered by a regulatory or 100-year flood. Any normally dry land area that is susceptible to being inundated by water from any natural source. The floodplain includes both the floodway and the floodway fringe districts.
What is a Flood Zone?
A Flood zone: Area in which the likelihood of a flood is much higher than average.
Flood Zone -100 year: The land along a creek, dry wash, river, lake, seaside, swamp, bay, estuary, or in a low lying area or depression that has a one in one hundred chance of flooding every year.
What is a Floodway?
A Floodway is: The Channel of a river or stream and those portions of the floodplains adjoining the channel which are reasonably required to efficiently carry and discharge the peak flow of the regulatory flood of any river or stream.
What is a Flood Fringe?
A Flood Fringe is: That portion of the flood plain lying outside the floodway, which is inundated by the regulatory flood.
What is a FIRM Map ?
Flood insurance Rate Map (FIRM)
A map developed by the National Flood Insurance Program showing base flood elevations, risk zones, and floodplain boundaries; used in determining flood insurance premiums.
Who can help me with a flood zone determination?
A land surveyor, an engineer, or the County Surveyor’s office.
Can I build in a Floodplain? Floodway? Flood Zone?
All requests must go through IDNR.
What is a “watershed”?
A watershed is an area of land from which all storm runoff water drains into a common point.
What are the County Surveyor's duties?
Indiana Code 36-2-12