CHAPTER
251
LAND SURVEYORS |
ARRANGEMENT OF
SECTIONS |
PART I
PRELIMINARY |
SECTION |
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PART II
THE SURVEYOR-GENERAL AND THE LAND SURVEYORS' BOARD |
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Minister to provide Secretary and other staff,
etc. for the Board. |
Responsibilities of Board. |
PART III
BAHAMAS ASSOCIATION OF LAND SURVEYORS |
Establishment and membership of Association. |
Functions and constitution of Association. |
PART IV
REGISTRATION AND LICENSING OF SURVEYORS |
The Register of Land Surveyors. |
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Prohibition of survey by unlicensed persons. |
PART V
DISCIPLINE |
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Complaints against improper conduct. |
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Powers of disciplinary committee. |
Further provision with respect to orders of
committee. |
Removal of name from Register. |
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Consequential removal or suspension. |
PART VI
OFFENCES AND PENALTIES |
Penalty for improper use of names, titles, etc. |
Penalty for wrongfully procuring registration. |
Penalty for interfering with survey marks. |
PART VII
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS |
Conduct of surveys for public purposes. |
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Power of entry, etc., upon land. |
Compensation for damage to property. |
Surveyor-General and surveyor carrying out
survey for public purposes not liable for trespass. |
Appeal to Supreme Court in certain cases. |
Certificate of Secretary to be evidence. |
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Saving: Quieting Titles Act. |
CHAPTER 251 |
LAND SURVEYORS |
An Act to
provide for the registration of land surveyors; the regulation and control of
land surveys; and for related purposes. | 9 of 1975
S.I. 54/1975
18 of 1978
25 of 1995 |
[Assent 7th May,
1975]
[Commencement 1st July, 1975] |
PART I
PRELIMINARY |
1. This Act may be cited as the Land Surveyors Act. | Short title. |
2. (1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise
requires- | Interpretation. |
"Association"
means the Bahamas Association of Land Surveyors established by section 8; |
"Board"
means the Land Surveyors' Board established by section 4; |
"functions"
includes powers and duties; |
"Government"
means the Government of The Bahamas; |
"licence"
means a licence issued by the Board under section 12; and grammatical
variations shall be construed accordingly; |
"Minister"
means the Minister responsible for the Department of Lands and Surveys; |
"prescribed"
means prescribed by regulations made under this Act; |
"prescribed
examination" means the examination set by the Board in accordance with the
regulations; |
"Register"
means the Register of Land Surveyors provided for in section 10; |
"regulations"
means regulations made under section 34; |
"Secretary"
means the Secretary to the Board; |
"survey"
means a survey for the determination and demarcation of land boundaries in The
Bahamas and includes- |
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(b) a
hydrographical survey; and |
(c) a survey
for the purposes of the
Quieting Titles Act, or for the purposes of any other Act requiring the
production of a land title survey; |
"survey for
public purposes" means any survey which the Surveyor-General is empowered- |
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(b) to
authorise the carrying out of, under subsection (1) of section 26; |
"surveyor"
means a person registered and licensed as a surveyor under this Act; |
"Surveyor-General"
means the Surveyor-General appointed under section 3; |
"to
register" means to enter the name of someone in the Register. |
(2) For the
purposes of this Act every person shall be deemed to act as a surveyor who- |
(a) performs or
executes, or undertakes to perform or execute, any surface survey intended to
form the basis of any plan or diagram appertaining to any instrument registered
or intended to be registered under the Quieting Titles Act or any Act pertaining to the registration of
land, whether or not the plan or diagram is itself intended for registration; |
(b) performs or
executes, or undertakes to perform or execute any survey affecting the
delimitation of boundaries or the location of survey pegs in connection with
any land for the purposes of the registration of any instrument under the Quieting Titles Act, or any Act
pertaining to the registration of land; |
(c) performs or
executes or undertakes to perform or execute, any survey of any Crown lands,
Government lands, privately owned lands or any other lands which is intended to
form the basis of any plan or diagram, or which affects the delimitation of
boundaries or the location of survey pegs; |
(d) places in
position in relation to any land any peg or other mark, not being a survey peg
or survey mark, with intent that it may be mistaken by any person for a survey
peg or survey mark placed in that position by a surveyor for the purpose of a
survey; or |
(e) certifies
the correctness of any plan or diagram purporting to delineate or define the
boundaries of any land, or purporting for the purposes of any easement over
land to delineate or define any line or lines. |
(3) In this Act,
unless the contrary intention appears, references to a Part or section are
references to a Part or section of this Act, and references in a section to a
subsection are references to a subsection of that section. |
PART II
THE SURVEYOR-GENERAL AND THE LAND SURVEYORS' BOARD |
3. (1) There shall be a Surveyor-General who shall be a
surveyor and who shall, subject to the provisions of this Act and of the
regulations- | Surveyor-General. |
(a) direct and
control all surveys for public purposes; |
(b) examine all
general and particular plans and diagrams of surveys before any registration of
any land is effected in accordance with the provisions of any Act regulating
the registration of such land, and approve such plans and diagrams if satisfied
that such Surveys have been carried out, and the plans and diagrams have been
prepared in accordance with the regulations; |
(c) take charge
of and preserve all survey plans and records; |
(d) cancel or
amend or require any surveyor to amend, in accordance with the provisions of
any law, any survey, plan or diagram found to be incorrect, outdated or
inadequate; |
(e) prepare,
certify and issue at the request of any person upon payment of the prescribed
fees, copies of diagrams and documents filed within his department which are
available to the public, and copies of general plans and diagrams registered in
any land registry. |
(2) The
Surveyor-General shall be a public officer: |
Provided that
until such time as a public officer is appointed to be the Surveyor-General the
office of Surveyor-General shall be held by the Director of Lands and Surveys. |
(3) The
Surveyor-General may, by writing under his hand, delegate to any public officer
employed in his department who is a surveyor, any of his functions under this
Act, and any such delegation while in force shall not prevent the discharge by
the Surveyor-General of the function thereby delegated and may at any time be
revoked by the Surveyor-General. |
(4) The
Surveyor-General shall be the authority for the preparation and publication of
the official topographical and general maps of The Bahamas, and no other person
shall, without the licence in writing of the Surveyor-General, use any material
which has been prepared or published under his authority in the preparation or
publication of any other map. |
(5) Neither the
Government nor any public officer thereof shall be liable for any incorrect
survey or work appertaining thereto performed by a surveyor, notwithstanding
that such survey or any plan or diagram relating thereto has been approved by
the Surveyor-General or any public officer to whom the Surveyor-General has
delegated any of his functions under subsection (3). |
4. (1) There shall be a Land Surveyors' Board which
shall consist of- | Establishment of Board. |
(a) the
Surveyor-General who shall be chairman; |
(b) two
surveyors appointed by the Minister; |
(c) two
surveyors, being members of, and nominated by the Association and appointed by
the Minister. |
(2)
The appointed members of the Board shall hold office for a period not exceeding
three years and shall be eligible for reappointment. |
(3) The Minister
may, if he thinks it expedient so to do, at any time revoke the appointment of
any appointed member of the Board. |
(4) If any vacancy
occurs amongst the appointed members of the Board, such vacancy shall be filled
by the appointment of another member, who shall hold office for the remainder
of the period for which the previous member was appointed, so, however, that
such appointment shall be made in the same manner and from the same category of
persons, if any, as the appointment of the previous member. |
5. (1) The Board shall meet at such times as may be
necessary or expedient for the transaction of its business, and such meetings
shall be held at such places and times and on such days as the Board may
determine. | Meetings of the Board. |
(2) The quorum of
the Board shall be three. |
(3) The decisions
of the Board shall be by a majority of votes, and, in addition to an original
vote, the chairman or other person presiding at a meeting shall have a second
and casting vote in any case in which the voting is equal. |
(4) Subject to the
provisions of this Act and of the regulations, the Board may regulate its own
proceedings. |
6. The Minister shall provide the Board with a
Secretary (who shall perform the functions assigned to the Secretary by or
under this Act) and with such other staff and such accommodation, services and
other facilities as appear to the Minister to be necessary or expedient for the
performance of the functions of the Board. | Minister to provide Secretary and other staff, etc.
for the Board. |
7. In addition to any other powers or duties conferred
or imposed by this Act or the regulations, the Board shall, subject to the
provisions of this Act, be responsible for- | Responsibilities of Board. |
(a) conducting
or arranging for the conduct of a local examination, where appropriate, for
persons seeking registration as surveyors; |
(b) advising
the Minister as to any matter which the Minister refers to the Board relating
to land survey practice generally within The Bahamas; |
(c) such other
matters of professional concern to members of the Association as the
Association may determine. |
PART III
BAHAMAS ASSOCIATION OF LAND SURVEYORS |
8. (1) There is hereby established a body to be known
as the Bahamas Association of Land Surveyors, which shall be a body corporate,
with perpetual succession and a common seal, with power to acquire, hold and
dispose of real and personal property, to sue and be sued and to do all things
necessary for the purposes for which it is established. | Establishment and membership of Association. |
(2) Every person
who is for the time being a surveyor shall be eligible for membership of the
Association. |
(3) By virtue of
this section the Association shall be exempt from the provisions of the
Industrial Relations Act. |
9. (1) The general functions of the Association shall
be- | Functions and constitution of Association. |
(a) to promote
and encourage proper conduct amongst surveyors; |
(b) to suppress
illegal, dishonourable, improper and objectionable practices; |
(c) to preserve
and maintain the integrity and status of the profession of land surveying; |
(d) to provide
opportunities for the acquisition and diffusion of knowledge in relation to land
surveying and its kindred subjects; |
(e) to consider
and suggest to the Minister amendments in the law relating to land surveys and
land surveying; |
(f) to provide
means for the amicable settlement of professional differences; and |
(g) generally
to protect and promote the interests of the profession of land surveying and
the interests of the public in relation to land surveys and land surveying. |
(2) The affairs of
the Association shall be managed by a Council consisting of seven members of
the Association, namely, a President, a Vice-President, one member appointed by
the Surveyor-General immediately before the annual general meeting of the
Association and four other members elected at the annual general meeting of the
Association. |
(3) The President
and Vice-President shall be elected by the Association at a general meeting. |
(4) The
Association in general meeting shall have power to make rules or bye-laws not
inconsistent with the provisions of this Act for the regulation of its affairs
and the conduct of its business, but no such rules or byelaws shall have any
force or effect unless or until the Minister signifies his approval of the same
in writing: |
Provided that
sections 31 and 32 of the Interpretation and General Clauses Act shall not
apply to any rules or bye-laws duly made by the Association and approved by the
Minister under the provisions of this subsection. |
PART IV
REGISTRATION AND LICENSING OF SURVEYORS |
10. (1) The Board shall cause the Secretary to keep a
register, to be known as "the Register of Land Surveyors", hereafter
in this Act referred to as "the Register", which shall contain the
name and address of every surveyor registered under this Act, the qualifications
by virtue of which he is registered and such other particulars as may be
prescribed. | The Register of Land Surveyors. |
(2) The Register
shall be open to inspection by any member of the public at the office of the
Surveyor-General during normal office hours. |
11. (1) For a period of two years from the
commencement of this Act any person who- | Registration. |
(a) has
attained the age of twenty-one years; |
(b) holds a
recognised certificate granted outside The Bahamas or has regularly practised
as a land surveyor in The Bahamas for a period of at least five years before
the date of his application or for such shorter period as the Board may, in its
absolute discretion, allow; and |
(c) satisfies
the Minister that he is of good character, |
may be
registered as a surveyor under this Act. |
(2) From and after
two years from the commencement of this Act, any person who- |
(a) has
attained the age of twenty-one years; |
(b) holds a
recognised certificate or has to the satisfaction of the Board passed the
prescribed examination; and |
(c) satisfies
the Minister that he is of good character, |
may be
registered as a surveyor under this Act. |
(3) Every person
wishing to be registered shall make application therefor in writing to the
Board, enclosing with his application the document conferring or evidencing his
qualification for registration and such other particulars as may be prescribed
or as may be required by the Board in any particular case. |
(4) As soon as may
be after receipt of an application under subsection (3), the Board shall
consider the application and make a recommendation to the Minister whether or
not the applicant should be registered. |
(5) As soon as may
be after receipt of a recommendation under subsection (4), the Minister shall
consider the recommendation and determine whether or not the application should
be registered. |
(6)
An application made under this section by a person who is not a public officer
or is not a citizen of The Bahamas shall not be granted without the concurrence
of the Minister responsible for Immigration and notwithstanding anything to the
contrary, any such person may be specially registered for such time and on such
conditions as the Minister may with the concurrence of the Minister responsible
for Immigration specify. |
(7) Any
determination made by the Minister under subsection (5) shall be communicated
to the Board, which shall in turn communicate it to the applicant and, in the
case of a favourable determination, direct the Secretary to register him in the
Register on the payment of the prescribed fee: |
Provided that no
fee shall be payable in respect of registration by a public officer. |
(8) For the
purposes of this section the expression "recognised certificate"
means- |
(a) membership
in a professional body in the field of land surveying or a qualification to
practise land surveying in any country outside The Bahamas, which is recognised
by the Board as furnishing sufficient evidence of the possession by the holder
thereof of the requisite knowledge and skill for the efficient practice of the
profession of land surveying; or |
(b) a
certificate, diploma, degree or licence granted by a university, college,
board, or other authority, together with satisfactory proof that the holder
thereof has had at least two years practical experience in land surveying under
a person or persons approved by the Board: |
Provided
that such certificate, diploma, degree, licence and practical experience is
recognised by the Board as furnishing sufficient evidence that such person
possesses the requisite knowledge and skill for the efficient practice of the
profession of land surveying. |
12. (1) Every person registered under section 11
shall, upon payment of the prescribed fee, be entitled to have a licence issued
to him by the Board: | Licences. |
Provided that no
fee shall be payable for a licence issued to a public officer. |
(2) A licence
issued under this section shall be in such form as may be prescribed. |
(3) A certified
copy of any licence made by the Surveyor-General or any public office of his
department shall be prima facie evidence in any court of the fact that a
person is a surveyor. |
(4) A letter
signed by the Surveyor-General stating that a person is not a surveyor shall be
prima facie evidence in any court of that fact. |
13. (1) Every licence shall take effect on the date
specified in the licence as the date on which it is to take effect and shall
expire on the thirty-first day of December in the year in which it was issued. | Duration of licences. |
(2) Every licence
may be renewed upon the application of the holder thereof and on the payment of
the prescribed fee. |
(3) Where a
licence has been lost, destroyed or mutilated it may be replaced by the Board
by the issue of a copy thereof upon the application of the holder of the
licence and on the payment of the prescribed fee. |
(4) The Board
shall cause to be published in the Gazette-. |
(a) as soon as
may be after the expiration of thirty days after the commencement of this Act,
a list containing the name and address of every surveyor licensed on the
thirtieth day after such commencement; and |
(b) thereafter
in each year as soon as may be- |
(i) after
the first day of January a list containing the name and address of every
surveyor licensed on such first day of January; and |
(ii) after
the first day of July a list containing the name and address of every surveyor
licensed or who ceased to be licensed between the 1st day of January and such
first day of July, both dates being inclusive. |
14. (1) It shall be an offence against this Act for any
person to act as a surveyor or to carry out any survey unless there is in force
in relation to him a valid licence issued to him under this Act: | Prohibition of survey by unlicensed persons. |
Provided that for
the purpose of conducting a survey for public purposes the Surveyor-General
may, with the approval of the Board and the Minister, employ such surveyors as
he thinks fit who need not be registered and licensed under this Act. |
(2) Any person
contravening subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary
conviction to a fine not exceeding three hundred dollars or to imprisonment for
a term not exceeding six months or to both such fine and imprisonment. |
PART V
DISCIPLINE |
15. For the purposes of this Act it shall be improper
conduct if a person registered under this Act- | Improper conduct. |
(a) certifies
the accuracy of any survey or survey plan without having personally carried out
or supervised that survey and the field operations and carefully examined and
satisfied himself of the correctness of the entries in any field book, and the
calculations, working plans and other survey records in connection therewith,
which may have been made by any other person employed by him; |
Provided
that in the case of any aerial survey a surveyor shall not be required to carry
out or personally to supervise the taking or processing of any aerial
photography; |
(b) certifies
the accuracy of any survey carried out by him or under his personal supervision
if the operations of pegging and ground marking and all other requirements of
the survey have not been carried out in accordance with the regulations; |
(c) certifies the
accuracy of any survey or survey plan knowing the same to be defective; |
(d) repeatedly
performs defective surveys or surveys to which adequate checks have not been
applied; |
(e) makes any
entry in a field book or copy thereof or other survey record which purports to
have been derived from actual observation or measurement in the field when in
fact it was not so derived; |
(f) supplies
any information to the Surveyor-General in connection with any survey, land
boundary or survey peg, knowing such information to be erroneous in any
material particular; |
(g) fails
without reasonable excuse to perform any duty imposed on a surveyor by the
regulations; |
(h) makes any
untrue report or memorandum of any survey; or |
(i) is
otherwise guilty of conduct unbefitting a person so registered. |
16. (1) A complaint that a person registered under
this Act has been guilty of improper conduct may be made to the Board by any
person in the prescribed form, and shall be accompanied by such statements and
affidavits as may be prescribed. | Complaints against improper conduct. |
(2) Where the
Board is of opinion that any complaint so made might, if established, call for
the exercise by a disciplinary committee of any of the disciplinary powers
conferred by section 18, the Board shall appoint such a disciplinary committee
and shall refer the complaint to them. |
17. (1) A disciplinary committee appointed under
subsection (2) of section 16 shall consist of three members selected by the
Board from among registered surveyors being, as far as practicable, persons of
a professional standing comparable or senior to the person complained against. | Disciplinary committee. |
(2) In the conduct
of the hearing of any complaint a disciplinary committee shall ensure- |
(a) that
adequate notice of the proceedings is given to the person complained against;
and |
(b) that any
party to the proceedings may, if he so requires, be heard by the committee
either in person or by a counsel and attorney. |
(3) At any such
hearing the committee may require evidence to be given on oath, and the
chairman of the committee shall have the power to administer an oath for that
purpose and to issue summonses under his hand requiring the attendance of any
person before them, at a time and place to be specified in any such summons, to
give evidence on oath or to produce any document relevant to the subject-matter
of the proceedings. Any such summons shall be served as if it had been issued
by a magistrate, and attendance before the committee of any person so summoned
may be enforced by a magistrate, upon application made to him by the chairman
of the proceedings as if the proceedings before the committee were proceedings
before the magistrate under the provisions of the Magistrates Act or any enactment
passed in amendment thereof or substitution therefor. |
18. (1) On the hearing of a complaint a disciplinary
committee may either dismiss the complaint or make such order of a disciplinary
nature as they think fit, and such order may in particular provide for any of
the following matters, that is to say- | Powers of disciplinary committee. |
(a) removal of
the name from the Register; |
(b) suspension
of registration for a period not exceeding one year; |
(c) payment of
a penalty (to be forfeited to the Crown) not exceeding one thousand dollars;
and |
(d) payment, by
any party to the proceedings, of the costs, or of such sum as the committee
consider a reasonable contribution towards the costs, incurred in connection
with those proceedings. |
(2) Any payment
ordered to be made by any person under paragraph (c) or (d) of subsection (1)
may be enforced in the case of a person registered under this Act, by the Board
ordering his registration to be suspended until the payment is made (which the
Board is hereby empowered to do) and, in any other case, as a judgment debt
owed to the Board. |
19. (1) Every order made by a disciplinary committee
under section 18 shall be prefaced by a statement of their findings on the
facts of the case and shall be signed by the Chairman of the committee. | Further provision with respect to orders of committee. |
(2) Every such
order shall be filed with the Secretary, and shall take effect- |
(a) where no
appeal under section 32 is brought against the order, within the time limited
for the appeal, on the expiration of that time; |
(b) where such
an appeal is brought and is not withdrawn or struck out for want of prosecution,
on the withdrawal or striking out of the appeal; |
(c) where such
an appeal is brought and is not withdrawn or struck out as aforesaid, if and
when the appeal is dismissed and not otherwise. |
(3) The Secretary
shall cause a note of the effect of every order filed with him pursuant to
subsection (2) to be entered in the Register against the name of the person to
whom the order relates and, except in the case of an order making provision
only for costs, shall forthwith upon the taking effect of the order cause a
notice stating the effect of the order to be published in the Gazette. |
20. (1) The Secretary shall remove the name of any
registered person from the Register- | Removal of name from Register. |
(a) upon the
application of that person; or |
(b) upon the
taking effect of an order to that effect of a disciplinary committee under
section 18 or of the Supreme Court under subsection (1) of section 32 in
relation to that person. |
Provided that,
where a complaint has been made against any person under subsection (1) of
section 16, his name shall not be removed under paragraph (b) of this
subsection until the complaint or any appeal in relation thereto, has been
finally disposed of under this Act. |
(2) Where the name
of any person has been removed from the Register or his registration has been
suspended, any licence issued to him under section 12 shall cease to have
effect for as long as his name remains off the Register, or as the case may be,
such suspension continues in force. |
21. (1) The Board may at any time, upon application
being made by any person whose name has been removed from the Register or whose
registration has been suspended, determine, if it thinks fit, that such
person's name shall be restored to the Register or, as the case may be, that
his suspension shall cease with effect from such date as the Board may appoint,
and shall forthwith give notice of any such determination to the Secretary. | Restoration to Register. |
(2) On receipt of
notice of a determination made by the Board under subsection (1) in relation to
any person, the Secretary shall forthwith cause the name of that person to be
restored to the Register or, as the case may be, cause a note of the cessation
of the suspension to be entered therein, and in either such case shall cause
notice of the determination of the Board to be published in the Gazette. |
22. (1) The Board may cause the name of a surveyor to
be removed from the Register if it is satisfied that any certificate granted
outside The Bahamas by virtue of which such surveyor has been registered under
section 11 has been revoked or cancelled by the authority which granted the
same. | Consequential removal or suspension. |
(2) If the Board
is satisfied that any certificate granted outside The Bahamas by virtue of
which a surveyor has been registered under section 11 has been suspended by the
authority which granted it, the Board may suspend the registration of such
surveyor for the same period or for any unexpired portion of that period. |
(3) Notice in
writing of the removal of the name of any person from the Register under
subsection (1) or of the suspension of the registration of any person under
subsection (2) shall be given to him by the Secretary and such removal or
suspension shall not take effect in relation to any such person until such a
notice is received by him. |
PART VI
OFFENCES AND PENALTIES |
23. Any person who- | Penalty for improper use of names, titles, etc. |
(a) not being
licensed under this Act, uses or causes or permits the use of any written
words, titles, or initials or any abbreviation thereof so as to cause any
person to believe that he is so licensed under this Act or that he is qualified
to act as a surveyor; or |
(b) not being a
member of the Association, uses or causes or permits the use of any written
words, titles or initials or any abbreviation thereof so as to cause any person
to believe that he is a member of the Association, |
shall be
guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding
six hundred dollars or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding twelve months
or to both such fine and imprisonment. |
24. Any person who- | Penalty for wrongfully procuring registration. |
(a) wilfully
makes or causes to be made any entry in the Register which is to his knowledge
false; |
(b) wilfully
procures or attempts to procure the registration of himself or any other person
as a surveyor by means of any representation or declaration, either oral or in
writing, which is to his knowledge false, |
shall be
guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding
six hundred dollars or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding twelve months
or to both such fine and imprisonment. |
25. (1) Any person who, without the authority of the
Surveyor-General, wilfully obliterates, removes or damages any trigonometrical
station, survey beacon, mark, pole or boundary monument affixed, set up or
placed for the purposes of a public survey or any other survey made in
accordance with the provisions of this Act, shall be guilty of an offence and
liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding three hundred dollars or
to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to both such fine and
imprisonment and in addition may be ordered by the court to pay the cost of
repairing or replacing the same. | Penalty for interfering with survey marks. |
(2) Any person by
whose information a conviction is secured against any person of an offence
against subsection (1) may, on the certificate of the court to that effect, be
paid by the Minister a reward not exceeding fifty dollars. |
PART VII
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS |
26. (1) Subject to the provisions of this section, the
Surveyor-General may at any time- | Conduct of surveys for public purposes. |
|
(b) authorise
in writing any surveyor to carry out, |
a survey of
any description for public purposes. |
(2) Before any
survey for public purposes is carried out in any area involving such number of
holdings as in the opinion of the Surveyor-General makes it impracticable to
give the owners or occupiers thereof the notice required to be given by
subsection (2) of section 29, the Surveyor-General shall publish in the Gazette,
in two newspapers published and circulating in The Bahamas and by means of
radio announcements, notice of such survey specifying the local limits of the
area affected and, where such survey is to be carried out in an Out Island
district, a copy of the notice shall be posted by the commissioner on a public
notice board at his office. |
(3) The locality,
description and position of all permanent survey beacons or marks put down
whether above or below the ground to mark any survey for public purposes, shall
be recorded by the Surveyor-General at his office in such manner as he thinks
fit, and the Surveyor-General shall also, as soon as may be after such beacons
or marks have been so recorded, cause notice of the same to be published in the
Gazette and in two newspapers published and circulating in The Bahamas. |
27. (1) Before any aerial survey of any land is made,
the person responsible for the making of such survey shall, at least one month
before any aerial photography in connection with such survey is carried out,
notify the Surveyor-General in writing of his intention to cause such survey to
be made and supply the Surveyor-General with a flight diagram or plan relating
thereto: | Aerial surveys. |
Provided that the
Surveyor-General may accept less than one month's notice in any particular
case. |
(2) At the
conclusion of the aerial survey such person if requested by the
Surveyor-General- |
(a) shall as
soon as may be supply the Surveyor-General with one copy of every photograph
taken for the purposes of such survey together with one copy of any plan made
as a result of such survey; and |
(b) shall lend
the Surveyor-General any diapositives and film relating to such survey, and the
Surveyor-General shall pay all reasonable expenses incurred in connection with
such loan. |
(3) Any person who
contravenes or fails to comply with the provisions of subsection (1) or (2)
shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not
exceeding one hundred and fifty dollars or to imprisonment for a term not
exceeding three months or to both such fine and imprisonment. |
28. (1) No person shall use terrestrial photography
for the purpose of any land survey without the written permission of the
Surveyor-General. | Terrestrial photography. |
(2) A request for
permission to use terrestrial photography for the purpose of any land survey
shall be accompanied by a plan showing clearly the extent to which it is
intended to use such photography. |
(3) Where the
Surveyor-General decides to grant permission to use terrestrial photography for
the purpose of any land survey, he shall grant such permission upon such terms
and conditions as he thinks fit. |
(4) Any person who
contravenes or fails to comply with the provisions of this section shall be
guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding
one hundred and fifty dollars or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three
months or to both such fine and imprisonment. |
29. (1) For the purposes of carrying out a survey for
public purposes- | Power of entry, etc. upon land. |
(a) the
Surveyor-General; and |
(b) any
surveyor authorised in writing by him to carry out such survey, |
may, subject
to the provisions of subsection (3)- |
(i) enter upon
any land not built over, whether public or private, with such assistants as he
may require; and |
(ii) fix or
set thereon survey monuments, pegs, marks; poles and beacons, and alter, repair
or remove any such monument, peg, mark, pole or beacon as aforesaid, for or in
connection with the conduct or inspection of the survey: |
Provided
that no permanent survey monuments, pegs, marks, poles or beacons, shall be
affixed to or placed in any yard or garden attached to any dwelling house
without the written permission of the owner or occupier thereof. |
(2) For the
purpose of carrying out a survey, other than a survey for public services, any
surveyor may, subject to the provisions of subsection (3), exercise any power
conferred by subsection (1). |
(3) Before
exercising in respect of any land any power conferred by subsection (1) or (2),
as the case may be- |
(a) the
Surveyor-General (except as provided in subsection (2) of section 26); or |
(b) the
surveyor concerned, |
shall give
at least three days notice in writing of his intention to do so to the owner or
occupier of such land. |
(4) Any person who
wilfully molests, prevents or obstructs any person in the lawful exercise of
any power conferred upon him by subsection (1) or (2), shall be guilty of an
offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding one hundred
and fifty dollars. |
30. The owner of any land upon which any permanent
survey beacon or mark is affixed, and the owner of any crops or trees cut or
damaged in the exercise of any power conferred by section 29, shall be entitled
to be paid adequate compensation by the Surveyor-General in the case of a
survey for public purposes or the surveyor concerned in the case of any other
survey, and any question arising as to the amount of such compensation shall,
in default of agreement between the owner and the Surveyor-General or the
surveyor, be determined by the magistrate's court for the district where the
land in question is situate. | Compensation for damage to property. |
31. No action for trespass shall lie against the
Surveyor-General, any surveyor authorised by him to carry out a survey for
public purposes or any assistant of such surveyor for any entry on any land in
pursuance of the authority conferred upon them by this Act. | Surveyor-General and surveyor carrying out survey for
public purposes not liable for trespass. |
32. (1) Any person aggrieved- | Appeal to Supreme Court in certain cases. |
(a) by the
determination of the Minister under subsection (5) of section 11 refusing his
application for registration as a surveyor; |
(b) by an order
made by a disciplinary committee under section 18 in relation to a complaint
made by or against him; or |
(c) by the
exercise by the Board of its powers under section 22 to cause his name to be
removed from the Register or to suspend his registration, |
may appeal
on that account to the Supreme Court in accordance with rules to be made by the
Rules Committee under section 75 of the Supreme Court Act within
fourteen days, in a case falling within paragraph (a) or (c) of this
subsection, after receipt. by him of the notification provided for by this Act
and, in a case falling within paragraph (b) thereof, after publication in the Gazette
of the notice required by subsection (3) of section 19. |
(2) The Supreme
Court on the hearing of any such appeal may- |
(a) confirm or
reverse the determination of the Minister or the Board; |
(b) confirm,
reverse or vary the decision of a disciplinary committee, |
and the
Minister, the Board or a disciplinary committee, as the case may be, shall give
effect to the decision accordingly. |
33. A certificate under the hand of the Secretary as
to an entry in the Register or as to any act or proceeding of the Board shall,
until the contrary is proved, be sufficient evidence in any court of any matter
so certified. | Certificate of Secretary to be evidence. |
34. The Minister after consultation with the Board may
make regulations for all or any of the following purposes, that is to say- | Regulations. |
(a) prescribing
the form of and method of keeping the Register; |
(b) prescribing
the forms of applications, licences, certificates and other documents required
for the purposes of this Act; |
(c) prescribing
the fees payable in respect of examination and registration and licensing and
of alterations or additions to the Register, for the issue and renewal of
licences and copies thereof; |
(d) prescribing
the subject matter of examinations to be conducted by the Board, the standards
required of successful candidates and the conditions governing the grant of
exemptions from any of the requirements of the regulations in relation thereto; |
(e) prescribing
the conditions governing the employment of and training by surveyors of
apprentices or cadets; |
(f) regulating
the conduct of surveys, including provision for ensuring the accuracy of plans
and surveys and for the amendment of survey plans and diagrams in accordance
with requisitions made in that behalf by the Surveyor-General, and for the
custody of such plans and diagrams; |
(g) prescribing
the manner in which surveys shall be performed and the manner and form in which
the records of such surveys shall be prepared and furnished to the
Surveyor-General; |
(h) prescribing
the diagrams and general plans required in respect of the survey of any land,
the manner of preparing such diagrams and general plans, the information to be
recorded thereon and the number of such diagrams and general plans to be
supplied to the Surveyor-General; |
(i) prescribing
the fees for the examination and checking of plans by the Surveyor-General and
the supply of copies of plans and other records by the Surveyor-General; |
(j) prescribing
the minimum charge for the survey or any land and the manner in which and the
person by whom such fees shall be taxed and the person who shall bear the cost
of such taxation; |
(k) regulating
the proceedings of the Board and any other matters necessary for the efficient
discharge of its functions under this Act; and |
(l) prescribing
penalties, not exceeding a fine of one hundred and fifty dollars, for the
breach of any such regulations. |
35. Any expenses incurred in carrying this Act into
effect shall be defrayed out of moneys provided by Parliament. | Expenses under this Act. |
36. (1) All surveys originating under the
Quieting Titles Act, which have been registered in the Supreme Court before the
commencement of this Act shall enure for the purposes of this Act as fully and
effectually as if they had originated under the provisions of this Act. | Saving: Quieting Titles Act. |
(2) All surveys
commenced under the Quieting Titles Act which are pending or in progress at the
commencement of this Act may be continued and completed in accordance with any
regulations, and shall, when so completed, be deemed to be surveys duly made
under the provisions of this Act. |