Let's say, in a hypothetical situation, you are doing a survey for a client who's neighbor has a fence and driveway encroaching into their property and refuses to move it.
While you are doing this survey you see that there is a potential conflict with a property line on the other side of the block as well. The plat is circa 1955 and clearly shows the side lot lines in this block to be 60 to 80 degrees off the front line and the houses are built parallel to the front. While you are searching for survey evidence, you find, on the other side of the block, a fence built square to the front so that it's about 5 feet north of the line in the back and a couple feet south where it turns into the house.
Would you try to contact these property owners and let them know of this potential problem?
TIA for all of the excellent responses I know this will generate.
Dugger
I would disclose the findings to my client and see what they say. If your client wants to do anything about it, IMO it's up to them.
Sorry I mis-read. If the conflict doesn't involve your client then I would contact them. Explain you were surveying nearby property and during your investigation found a possible conflict. Be prepared to give them a price. They may not care about it though.
No. I can't think of a situation that would put a property owner more on edge than an unsolicited surveyor coming up and telling them "You might have a problem here." Its really not a problem until it becomes a problem, if that makes sense. 😐
you certainly could approach from the angle of 'having done recent work in the block' & leave them a card. I dunno, just my 2 pennies
nope
see reply at rpls
Not unless they were outside while I was looking for the evidence and I said it in passing to them. I would not seek them out to do it; however, I would put a note in the file to NEVER work in that block without 2x the money and half up front. We tend to forget the "other" problems we encounter during surveying something, and it's only AFTER we get into "THAT" job that we realize we already knew this and didn't have the money in it to get it all done so we take a bath.
That happened a couple times, now there are sticky notes in all files where your situation is applicable.
> Would you try to contact these property owners and let them know of this potential problem?
Running out of windmills to tilt at? No, I would not. The idea sort of smacks of ambulance chasing to me.
^unlikely...