What the disclosure law does
Under the Residential Real Property Disclosure Act, 765 ILCS 77, a covered seller completes the statutory report before the buyer signs the agreement, subject to the Act's exemptions and procedures. The report concerns material defects of which the seller has actual knowledge. It is not a professional boundary opinion.
The Act also recognizes information supplied by a licensed land surveyor within that professional's scope. That is a reason to distinguish verified survey information from a seller's assumption.
The useful document may already exist
Search the closing file for a signed plat of survey. Check its date and compare the drawing with later fences, garages, additions, drives, patios, and sheds. Give it to the attorney, title company, and buyer's side. They decide whether the old document is acceptable for the present transaction.
Resolve these before attorney review
- A shared drive or alley is used differently from the recorded documents.
- A fence or improvement appears to cross a line or easement.
- The parcel identification and deed description do not match the marketed property.
- The sale depends on a claimed lot width, acreage, or buildable area.
- A neighbor has challenged a corner or boundary.
Order the right work
The Illinois Professional Land Surveyor Act defines locating and monumenting real-property boundaries as professional land surveying. Ask the closing attorney or title company what product and delivery date the transaction requires, then describe the exact issue to the surveyor. Confirm the responsible professional through the Illinois license lookup.