I have a reciprocal relationship with many surveyors that work in my area. If I can help them out, I will and vica versa, so long as it doesn't create a conflict of interest. Sort of a what goes around comes around thing. However there are a couple outfits that have played hard ball with me in the past attempting to make me pay through the nose for any and all information and of course I understand they are in business to make a profit. I'll offer them what the information is worth to me. They will get the same treatment if they require my assistance. So where I'm going with this ... put the shoe on the other foot, and you were approaching this outfit for similar assistance, what kind of response could you reasonably expect from them? I'm thinking you already know the answer to that one.
The one thing NOT TO DO when approached by a fellow surveyor for some help is to immediately declare that you are THE ONLY source of all knowledge and the answer to his problem is to hire you to do the entire job, then he can relabel it and hand it to his client as if he had actually done it. Had a fellow try to pull that crapola on me once upon a time. Didn't work. He was still mad when he died several years later. How dare someone take 0.1 percent of his potential annual profit away from him!
If a surveyor requests a particular survey or if he recovers one of my corners, I will give him or her a copy or PDF, but if he is asking me to look for any information I have in the area, then he wants me to do his research.
"I DON'T DO THAT"
Copies of plats I've done? No problem. Copies of my research? Not a chance.
About a decade ago I had my biggest competitor, who I used to work for, ask me to "show my party chief how to use a data collector".
I declined.
There's a couple of similar perpetrators out in the woods around here that always have their hand out looking for section break-downs. Sometimes, if it's handy, I throw them a bone. The two I'm thinking of in particular are solo fellas that live in rural areas. To tell the truth, I'd rather them kick-off their survey with good info than to get out there and screw up something.
I've always thought about slipping some sort of "mickey" into the info I turn over and see if it makes it through to their finished product. Something that would be obvious if they ever actually made it to the field...but I've never acted on those thoughts. Just an old man's musing...:angel:
Your business, Your decision. Personally, I have never not given a fellow surveyor information, which includes control points. My reasoning is
1. I may need something from him in the future.
2. I want to give him every opportunity to come up with the same answer that I did.
lmbrls, post: 359821, member: 6823 wrote: Your business, Your decision. Personally, I have never not given a fellow surveyor information, which includes control points. My reasoning is
1. I may need something from him in the future.
2. I want to give him every opportunity to come up with the same answer that I did.
I've done this as well, but with what I would consider legitimate survey business and surveyors. What these guys are doing, IMHO, isn't legitimate. Yes, to both 1 and 2, I like helping when I can, b/c I know that what goes around comes around. Nothing wrong with being a good steward to those trying to uphold the profession.
I've given control data many times - with a caveat. If you find anything you don't agree with, I'm the first call you make. Only happened a couple of times and it turned out to be draftsman's errors. Certainly not perfect, just careful.
Andy
My family is the same. Been around since the 50s from my grandfather then my father, now me.
I know a bunch of local surveyors and have no problem helping them out and I have no problem reaching out for help when I'm stuck.
When I'm stuck.
I don't take jobs out of my area knowing I'll just call them. It's not frequently I ask for help nor is it frequent that they ask. Prolly bc everyone does their due diligence before asking.
That's my policy.
I don't mind as long as you have tried your best and done what you can. If your still stuck, I'll see what I have to help you out.
It might not be a cad file with coordinates but I'll try n get you something to help.
As for these guys non local just coming in and taking away work..... it's a toughy. I'd prolly just end up helping out but under my breath wouldn't be so happy if I found out you called me before even trying. If they take another job in the area and do the same, I might be less willing.
hlbennettpls, post: 359825, member: 10049 wrote: I've done this as well, but with what I would consider legitimate survey business and surveyors. What these guys are doing, IMHO, isn't legitimate. Yes, to both 1 and 2, I like helping when I can, b/c I know that what goes around comes around. Nothing wrong with being a good steward to those trying to uphold the profession.
What he said. My response was directed to the original post and the hacks in question. Although we have entirely too many surveyors in our are it remains a pretty tight group. I've only been denied a copy of a plat from another surveyor one time. The company (not from the immediate area I work in) that denied it I have (had) the utmost respect for. Their work is really good, but they wouldn't give up this plat because they felt they should have been doing the work. In this case the buyer and the selling agent were both friends of mine so naturally I got the call to survey it. I wound up in the courthouse starting with the most recent plat recorded and working backwards until I found it. Sad.
Well the guy has called back twice since I posted this. I thought I was just going to be able to let it die, but he's apparently from the car salesman line of bottom feeding surveyors. Anyways, I finally answer his call and when I tell him I'm not willing to share my information to cut my own throat his reply was priceless. He told me "Really, you're NOT going to help me?". Like I owed him something! It would've been a bad scene had he visited my office and acted that way. I politely said "no", and "good luck" then hung up the phone.
We have had out-of-town surveyors come in and beat our price. On a couple of topo's that were the basis for engineering plans (also by out-of-town engineers) they assumed 100 on their first traverse and went home at the end of the day. When the plans come in for review they are instantly rejected because they are not on the correct datum. Often the benchmark is just across the street from the job. If the surveyor was familiar with the area he would know this, and have a copy of the Benchmark Manual.
These out-of-town gypsies make life harder for everyone.
We don't generally have a problem sharing data with other surveyors from the area. You are surveying a property and the neighbor's description says it was from a survey by such and so, call them up and get a copy of the survey. Sharing that type of information with people you know is good for the image of the profession.
Well what do ya know! Had a guy call at the end of last week and ask about getting us to survey his lot. Funny thing is, I had written down the lot number that surveyor "X" had wanted help with and low-and-behold it was the same one. Will be surveying it next week. Like Hannibal from the A-Team used to say "I love it when a plan comes together"!
