"We're fighting with the neighbor over the fence and we don't have much money"
Better call Saul...
When they call and say the company they started with is no longer surveying and now need some staking done.
When I have an employee that refuses to make adjustments to take on the additional work that's available and he quits.
There are several areas in the counties in which I work that are wrought with pin-cushions and bad descriptions.?ÿ I learned long ago to stay out of there.?ÿ That's usually my "refusal" criteria.
Oh, and anything to do with the Oklahoma/ Texas border at the Red River.
Any time I talk to somebody who starts explaining to me that they are having problems with a neighbor and only need one line "surveyed", it's an instant pass.?ÿ I got a call just yesterday, a lady wanted me to set corners on her property but didn't want a survey done because she has a survey plan from the 80's when she bought the house, she can't get in touch with the original surveyor, had never even heard of the firm that did it and she insisted that all I need to do is use their survey.?ÿ My reply, sorry, I won't do that but thanks for reaching out to me.?ÿ
For about 20 years I would not do a survey in a specific county if it was outside the one significant city in that county.?ÿ The "powers that be" within the County administration decided they needed to "straighten out" the hillbillies and force them to conform with the type of rules, regulations and policies of the most populous county in the entire state.?ÿ They eventually realized the damage they were doing and reverted to practices in line with neighboring counties.?ÿ I have returned to accepting jobs from there, but rarely.?ÿ No need to work with people who love to fight against "normal".
Real estate agent: "We don't need a real survey done, we just need you to "identify" the corners. You know, just point them out to the buyers".
Rule #1: When someone needs their property line marked because "their neighbor is a jerk" - 99% chance that you're talking to the jerk and the neighbor is a decent guy.
Seriously, for the last 15 years or so I've tried to limit my work to B2B in specific market sectors (currently utilities & renewable energy).?ÿ I'm a firm believer that the more you limit your client base, the more you can learn about their business and be seen as an expert consultant (and invoice accordingly) rather than "some guy we found on google".?ÿ ?ÿ
Recent jobs
For a real estate agent whose grandmother has been a friend of mine since 1966 and a former and current client, Plus he is a former client.?ÿ Plus the seller is simply cutting off a few acres with the house where I am good friends with two of the three "kids" who grew up there in the 1960's.
For a dad, a former client, helping out his daughter.?ÿ We served together on the local rural water district board of directors for several years.?ÿ Plus his first cousin is a classmate and a current client.
For a fellow who is slicing his 10 acre tract into two pieces so his grandson can buy and move into the house.?ÿ He is a distant relative of mine and we were in the same high school at the same time.?ÿ I had created the 10-acre tract 23 years ago.
For a fellow who is a former client and my seed dealer.
Two surveys for a former client.?ÿ Chatted with his neighbor who has a restored 1954 Chevy BelAir setting next to his, arrived last week fresh from the dealer, Corvette.
A survey for an employee of that former client, who told him to call me.
A boundary survey for new owners of a tract where I had performed an elevation certificate job a few years ago.
A survey of an odd tract for a former client that abutted three of my prior surveys.
A survey to cut the house from the family's "home farm" since about 1890.?ÿ Multiple members of that family are former clients.?ÿ Besides, I already had all the control in place.?ÿ Just needed the "from here to here to here" part.
A resurvey to locate bars set a few years ago for the previous owner.
A survey for a client I have known for about 40 years.?ÿ I already had all the control from working on nearby tracts.
Two surveys for a member of a family for whom I had performed close to a dozen surveys.?ÿ She was in high school with my oldest daughter and a very good volleyball player in her day.
An EC/LOMA client who is a former client and the brother of another former client.
Two projects for a nearby county for which I do several projects per year.
A survey for a former client and my farm worker.?ÿ
A personal survey for my banker, who I've known since he was born.
Seven different counties involved in the jobs listed above.?ÿ
I have no need at this point in my career to advertise or do anything special to keep us overloaded with work.?ÿ But, it makes it very difficult to tell them NO.?ÿ This is why I rarely take on projects from unknowns.?ÿ A fellow I put on the list earlier this week is someone I have not met.?ÿ But, I know his parents and his mother's parents (former clients).?ÿ I know he owns the property where his maternal grandmother grew up. Three nearby past surveys of mine will make it an easy job.?ÿ I had fun taking adult swimming lessons from his mother in 1983 along with my first wife who was seven months pregnant with our youngest daughter at the time.?ÿ And, 50 years ago I met his paternal grandfather several times when we lived on opposite sides of the same section over 200 miles from here.?ÿ We waved at each other a few times while he was doing farm work on his side of the common fence line and I was helping to pay my house rent by farming for the owner on my side.
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This might become one:
A landowner came into the office, he wants a "certified map".
He handed me a couple of drawings, one our office had done for a road adjustment along his boundary, the other was a boundary for his parcel but from a surveyor who passed away 15 or so years ago.?ÿ
He wouldn't tell me what he needed beyond a "certified map", so through an interrogation it came out in little nuggets until I figured out just what he needed.?ÿ
Turns out what he needs is to move his irrigation water out of a ditch and to a pump system in the stream that passes through his lands.
A petition to the state has to accompany a map, you apply for the change and when the board of control with the State Engineer's office meets they will grant/change/deny your petition. This process usually will take a year from start to finish.?ÿ
After granting your petition then you have to seek consents, which extends the process. Almost no one will sign the consents so then you seek them a second time and go to a board hearing and allow any objections, finally it's all granted.?ÿ
He didn't want the petition, he said since he does lots of contracts he would write it himself. I told him I would be glad to provide some examples. He said he didn't need examples.?ÿ
The "certified map" is going to be a big deal, his parcel is a 25 acre tract at the end of an irrigation district. The first task is to follow the water from the point of diversion at the source of the water right to his property, that point is many miles away from a stream through a ditch, down a second ditch to a second stream, then through a second point of diversion into his ditch and finally to his property. All the POD ties need to be shown, the section, townships laid out for the 15 miles the water travels to his place. And that's only the location map. Then map all the water rights of record, research them, figure out what's been changed, how much it's changed, how much he has, and finally plot the new proposed system of pipe, pumps, sprinklers.
Then submit the map and petition and start making changes if any are needed. I really thought he wanted to walk out the door with a "certified map" in a few minutes.?ÿ
Many correlations between stories here and recent learning experiences:
Anyone who asks for a discount will avoid paying anything after the 50% deposit required to start the job. (This means the 50% deposit must pay for the whole job, including gas, crew, drawings, and recording fees, from the get-go.)
The requests for a "one line" survey are often from the property worth twice the median value in the county.
There is a question that seems to deflate the shoppers looking for someone to "take up an offense" for them, which is: "If you pay me and I roll out there and measure it and find out they are right, are you willing to be wrong about it?"
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I wish this one was turned down????????
@jed Just seems like some sketchy terrain to be working solo and not terribly efficient with a conventional gun. Robot??s too heavy. Why don??t you use an IM to share the load and watch your back?
I wish this one was turned down
Actually didn't look that bad except for the wind. Little underbrush. As I have said many times - we work in the rain on the west coast.?ÿ
It's actually pretty tame compared to a lot of our jobs but the 3 hours of driving is what I wish I could avoid. I hate driving and I feel safer in the windy woods than I do driving the gontlet to the coast.?ÿ
@jed I get it, feel same way about driving, most definitely the most exposure to risk.?ÿ
I've gone to the mat here over the issue working solo with long days in the field followed by long drives to get home. You get sleepy at the wheel and there's to give you a break and so you're forced to either stop and rest and get back late or push your luck. Either that or pound a redbull and be up all night.
