Descriptions Debate... Point of Termination vs Point of Ending??

Tomato/tomahto ?ÿYour choice.

Both are clear and unambiguous, use whichever you like.?ÿ

"I was always taught..." needs a "because..." to back it up for it to be a compelling reason to oppose a different way of doing things.?ÿ

Let's add one more, just for the confusion factor - " ;thence >>>>> (and) being the terminus of this description."

follow up, I asked a buddy of mine, and his response was "Termination" because it gives reverence to "Terminus," the Roman god of boundary markers...?ÿ

Point of Beginning, Point of Terminus

Posted by: LDavis

I'm generally opposed to centerline descriptions, but... aside from that debate... I was taught to use "Point of Termination" for the endpoint of a centerline description.?ÿ The company that I'm at uses "Point of Ending."?ÿ I'm throwing this out there to hear other opinions.... so.... fire away...

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Thanks.?ÿ

Who cares??ÿ If you are the professional, use your professional judgment.?ÿ?ÿ Which one, or both, or does something else meet the requirements of what you are trying to do?

I completely?ÿagree with Aliquot;?ÿ "I was taught", "I heard someone once say",?ÿ"so and so always did it this way", "we have always done it", etc., are very vacuous reasons to either do, or not do something, at a professional level.?ÿ?ÿ

Why would you be opposed to centerline descriptions??ÿ When used properly, in many?ÿcircumstances?ÿthey are the best method to use.

I agree, at times centerline descriptions are the best to use, just not my first choice.

the answer to the "who cares?" question is... I prefer "termination" and I'm the one with the license, being told by someone without a license that I'm basically supposed to sign whatever is put in front of me "as long as the numbers are correct"... to which I'm fundamentally opposed.

I appreciate the varying opinions on this...

"... I'm the one with the license, being told by someone without a license that I'm basically supposed to sign whatever is put in front of me "as long as the numbers are correct"... to which I'm fundamentally opposed.

And people wonder why there are so many solo surveyors out here.........................?ÿ ??ÿ

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Beginning at.....

.........to the end.

My go-to sources for style of legal descriptions are Wattles Writing Legal Descriptions?ÿand the ODOT (Oregon) Right of Way Engineering Manual.

Wattles is silent on this issue. The ODOT manual, which is very focused on strip descriptions, just ends it's center line descriptions without giving the last point any label at all (other than specifying the stationing).?ÿ

As far as who gets to decide these matters of style - If you are going to work in a team environment (ie/as an employee for a company were you are not the only person doing the work you do) it is reasonable to expect the organization to set some stylistic parameters for you to work to. It is perfectly appropriate for a company to do so. My gripe at most places I've worked is not that they had standards, but that the standards were vague, fluid, and undocumented. The best places I've worked were those with clear standards. For example, ODOT has written a manual of stylistic expectations for all it's employees and contractors to use when writing?ÿ right of way acquisition legals. It's not always the way I would do it if left to my own devices, but if you want the work you do it their way. As long as it isn't downright wrong you use the style.

Putting the shoe on the other foot - if you where the owner and you had a room full of smart-aleck LS's working for you, you would require them to write legals the way you thought best. You would specify the sheet size, font style and size, the ways you wanted various clauses to be phrased, etc., etc.?ÿ The worst thing for your company would be to have a bunch of guys all writing legals to a different style, making maps to their personal stylistic preferences as fonts, linetypes, & general look, etc. etc. so that there was no consistency in the product. It's what makes a company a company and not just a gaggle of uncoordinated goof balls.?ÿ ?ÿ ?ÿ ?ÿ

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Posted by: LDavis

...I'm the one with the license, being told by someone without a license that I'm basically supposed to sign whatever is put in front of me "as long as the numbers are correct"... to which I'm fundamentally opposed.

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I hear you there, bud.?ÿ A lot of us have to play these games and spend time in these minor struggles with higher ups who think they know things but don't.?ÿ As others wrote, sometimes it's little stuff that doesn't matter, just different wording, etc., not really major surveying issues.

Like with kids, pick your battles.

Ending to me is an act of winding down. The movie is ending.

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Termination is definate. It's over. No questions asked.

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My 2 cents

Whatever. But...

Always consider the person who will read the description. Will they understand the meaning without and explanation of word choice?

Alternatively, there is "Beginning of Layout", and, "End of Layout" to describe a center line location.

Posted by: not my real name

Whatever. But...

Always consider the person who will read the description. Will they understand the meaning without and explanation of word choice?

Alternatively, there is "Beginning of Layout", and, "End of Layout" to describe a center line location.

And avoid using, "either side of said center line", when you actually mean, "each side".?ÿ Just a minor pet peeve.....

Also, our Department of Transportation uses the phrase "End of Layout" to mean end of funding for a particular phase. In subsequent years there may be more beginnings and endings as more funding is available until the terminus is reached. Thus, the "End of Layout" is not necessarily the terminus.?ÿ

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Posted by: JP

And avoid using, "either side of said center line", when you actually mean, "each side".?ÿ Just a minor pet peeve.....

I wouldn't relegate that to a pet peeve when it may be flat out wrong.?ÿ "Either" gives someone the choice to pick one but only one side. "Each side" or "both sides" says that two sides are intended.

Posted by: JPH

Posted by: not my real name

Whatever. But...

Always consider the person who will read the description. Will they understand the meaning without and explanation of word choice?

Alternatively, there is "Beginning of Layout", and, "End of Layout" to describe a center line location.

And avoid using, "either side of said center line", when you actually mean, "each side".?ÿ Just a minor pet peeve.....

Not just a minor pet peeve. Words mean things, and courts will usully apply their meanings.?ÿ

Posted by: JPH

And avoid using, "either side of said center line", when you actually mean, "each side".?ÿ Just a minor pet peeve.....

It is more than a minor pet peeve. Wattles addresses this phrasing in Writing Legal Descriptions. Imprecise language is shark food.?ÿ?ÿ