Was chatting with another surveyor a few days ago and he told me that if I get a call from Mrs. Pxxxxxxx from a certain nearby city to run away as fast as possible.?ÿ They had completed everything but the final plat when she exploded.?ÿ She was certain every monument found had been moved by someone at some time or was placed there by a fraudulent surveyor.?ÿ She was wanting to prove to a certain neighbor that the neighbor's building was partly on her property.?ÿ The survey proved otherwise.?ÿ She was furious.?ÿ She fought with him.?ÿ She called the office and demanded to speak to the HMFIC so as to have him go back out and CORRECT THE SURVEY to where she was certain the lines should fall.?ÿ This never happens, but, never say never.?ÿ The Big Boss tolerated her gibberish and demands for less than ten minutes before hanging up on her.?ÿ This morning she called again to announce they were fired and she would not pay one red cent if they attempted to charge her anything for the work that had been done.
This could get interesting before all is said and done.
This could get interesting before all is said and done.
Already started.?ÿ
This should prove entertaining.?ÿ Keep us abreast of any developments.
It is definitely an acquired talent to read a client's mind.?ÿ For the very reason you've described above I try to avoid working for people that are keen on predetermined results of my survey.?ÿ But sensing that attitude sometimes requires an intuitiveness that is elusive.?ÿ I usually just ask a client if they're still willing to pay me even if I tell them something they don't want to hear.
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I was once hired to do a "simple" little survey for a kind little old lady.?ÿ Her and her adjoiners all had similar shaped 5 acre lots.?ÿ I had worked out there and knew most of the pins were there and everything fit.?ÿ It was all Bermuda and you could see the rear line from the road.?ÿ What could be easier?
This little old lady had no fence on her east line.?ÿ There was really no landmarks at all to discern where one lot stopped and the other started.?ÿ Along this line was a mighty 60' tall pecan tree.?ÿ The lady was so sure she owned the tree she had called the sheriff when the neighbor was out there picking her pecans.
Well the contrary was shown.?ÿ The pecan tree was a good 50' past her property line.?ÿ She couldn't believe it. I was a lair and a cheat.?ÿ I was in?ÿ cahoots with the neighbor.?ÿ She knew damned well that was her tree and she was offended that I had tried to tell her otherwise!?ÿ ?ÿOf course she refused to pay the bill.
A few days later the neighbor called and offered to pay most of my fees if I would stake the line for fencing that he wanted to erect.?ÿ I did.?ÿ The fence got built.?ÿ I expected a law suit or at least her knocking on my door and attempting to scratch out my eyes.?ÿ Never heard another thing about it.
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It's much easier to please younger women.?ÿ Older ones can be very difficult.
Older ones can be very difficult.
I think I'm going to be quoting you on that.. 🙂
Its always fun working for "crazy" once in a while.?ÿ Costly yes but at least you get a good story out of it.?ÿ Mine was a guy who dug up his whole front yard looking for bounds.?ÿ He uncovered about 30 boulders, none of which look anything like a bound.?ÿ He was adamant that he knew where the line was and that everyone else was wrong.?ÿ Kept yelling at us.?ÿ We walked away a few times and packed up the gear and then he would calm down and ask us to finish.?ÿ Got the results matching up well with other surveys in the area and he flew off the handle for the last time...goodbye.?ÿ
@jimcox - Yea, Just not out loud !?ÿ
While working for a former employer we did a survey back around 2011 for a lady that had purchased a historical building in a small town near us.?ÿ All the descriptions in the deeds dating back to the 1800's, almost no monumentation.?ÿ We were definitely way over budget on the job to begin with when she refused to pay because she didn't agree with the boss's determination.
The boss had her into the office a number of times to explain his reasoning for the determination but she just flat out refused to accept the survey. He told her to get a second opinion and chalked it up as loss.
Found out in 2015 that this loon had written an entire 450 page (incomprehensible) book about the property and how everyone but her was wrong.?ÿ The boss bought a copy and I tried reading through it but it's almost impossible.?ÿ
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?ÿ This morning she called again to announce they were fired and she would not pay one red cent if they attempted to charge her anything for the work that had been done.
Did they get a retainer before beginning work?
I do not know the answer to that question.?ÿ I am sure they have a signed contract.
Received a call from a surveyor some years ago asking me what I thought about a situation...seems he was contacted by a Mrs. Neverwrong to do a boundary survey for her.?ÿ She told him the other surveyors were all wrong and needed someone to do the job right.?ÿ I asked him if this was a certain address and he confirmed it was.?ÿ I told him that she had filed a complaint against (to date) 9 other surveyors for negligence and there's no reason to expect she wouldn't with him either.?ÿ Told him to turn and run as fast as he could the other way.
Shame he didn't take my advice, thinking with this information he would be more adept than the others at handling her.?ÿ Well, he assumed incorrectly and yes a complaint was filed.?ÿ Thing is, pretty much all the surveyors were agreeing with each other within very reasonable tolerances.?ÿ Sometimes your best clients are the ones that you refuse to do work for.
To quote FairbanksLS above:
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It's much easier to please younger women.?ÿ Older ones can be very difficult.
