Ethics Question

I have thought of doing the same thing. I do not see a problem with it.

Sounds like solid business to me. No ethical problems. I hope you recoup some of your costs.

There is nothing unethical about promoting your business or advantages over your competition. I see no reason you shouldn't send the letters, just be careful not to use your client's name.

I don't see any ethical problems, but if your original client find out about it, he may feel that he was overcharged.

Of course not Mark, business is business, you are not doing anything unethical.

Have a great week!

I've done similar

Surveyed a lot that required locating the corners of several adjacent lots. As we were finishing one of the neighbors asked about a price for surveying their lot. Since I had already located the corners all I had to do was locate the improvements and draw the plat. Of course I charged them the same price as the original client. Next door neighbors will talk and I didn't want to upset the original client.

Andy

Would doing so make you into a dirty little low baller?
I would just let word of mouth do its thing, maybe ask the client to talk about what good service he received from you in the neighborhood in spite of the fact you lost money but held your quote. I often receive inquiries from just surveying in the area, if no interest was shown, I would not write any letters. Offering a lower price as a chum many seem to think is a good businesses practice, those same people will also tell you to charge what it is worth to the client and if you don't you are just throwing money away. If you feel good about this go ahead, your question shows some doubt.
jud

I've done similar

That is what I do Andy, for the same reasons.
jud

Some neighbors did express interest while we were out there, but they were thinking in terms of $50. In Multnomah County, and even with control and stakeable coordinates in my pocket, the charge for another ROS in the neighborhood would still be north of $2000, plus the $300 filing fee.

I don't think so. It makes you a good business man promoting your advantages. Nothing was said about doing it for a cut-rate.

I've done similar

Same price to all neighbors is fine because the savings you can point out to any adjacent or nearby future clients is the shorter time frame it would take them to get their final product. In many cases this is a huge savings and something I think one can advertise. Whether it be commercial or residential, if one has lots of previous work in an area the added benefit to a client choosing you should be time savings. Going around with the Right-of-entry fliers is a great way to put the neighborhood on notice that work is happening and now would be the time look into getting that survey done. Additionally going around with the final product informing the neighborhood of the results down the street may also be a good way to communicate new work.

Your field crew should have been handing out your business cards while they were crawling around all of those 36 lots. I would think the owners would be able figure it out. A standard right of entry request letter would probably have covered the bases as well.

People just do not buy surveys unless the are required to, or will directly benefit for one reason or another.

JRL

I see no issue here other than you surveyed 36 lots to establish 2, in all my years that has to be some kinda record, wow.

Sometimes going out beyond your area of interest is the only way to get the whole picture and not add to a future problem. Working one one now where I had to go outside of the subdivision to find the answer as to what probably happened. The older subdivision at the edge of town was further subdivided long after the Blocks were platted, the adjoining subdivision did not use the same street layout and caused an offset. The offset street was projected through the old when it was developed and caused what appeared to be an error of about 20 feet more distance withing the original block in the N-S direction than had been platted, no problem when measuring the lots from the street both N and S until the distance between those lots was measured. About 80 years of fudged descriptions calling for unused block corners in the descriptions. Now I know what probably took place and future land descriptions can be corrected to what is today occupied in good faith, trying to follow the existing descriptions and fitting them withing the 1880 plat revealed nothing, had to go outside to find any supportable speculative reasoning. A replat would be good, but unlikely to ever be done, but there will soon be a filed survey with narrative of what I did and found.
jud

I agree with Sam
😀

> Your field crew should have been handing out your business cards while they were crawling around all of those 36 lots.

I was the field crew for most of it. If I had only known at the start what this would grow into I certainly would have done just that. Hindsight is always 20-20.

> I see no issue here other than you surveyed 36 lots to establish 2...

Another survey I did this year caused me to establish an entire 20 lot block to stake 1 lot, so my ratio is improving.

We send out postcards as notice that we will be in the neighborhood doing work prior to arriving. This works as "adequate" notice (I hope) for our permissable "tresspass". It also promotes the business.

No Ethics issue. But, charge the same price as the first client. The first client got the discount.