Corner hopping bill augers in....

In Wyoming it's trespass.

Here's ours.....

Florida Statutes/Administrative Code
§ 73-13-103. Immunity of land surveyors from criminal liability for trespass.

(1) For the purposes of this section, the term "surveyor" means a licensed professional surveyor as defined in Section 73-13-71, and any person who is employed by or under the direct supervision of a professional surveyor licensed under Sections 73-13-71 through 73-13-97.

(2) A surveyor may enter in or upon public or private lands or waters, except buildings, while in the lawful performance of surveying duties without criminal liability for trespass; however, a surveyor shall make a good faith attempt to announce and identify himself and his intentions before entering upon private property and must present documentation sufficient to identify him as a surveyor to anyone requesting such identification.

(3) The provisions of this section do not relieve a surveyor from any civil liability that otherwise is actionable at law or in equity, and do not relieve a surveyor from criminal liability for trespass if the entry in or upon the property extends beyond the property or area that is necessary to actually perform the surveying duties.

(4) Surveyors shall be personally liable for any damage caused to private property when exercising entry under this section. No cause of action shall lie against a landowner for damages to a surveyor while on such lands unless the damage is caused by the intentional tortious conduct of landowner or his agent.

Sources: Laws, 1997, ch. 425, § 1; brought forward without change, Laws, 1999, ch. 416, § 38; reenacted and amended, Laws, 2004, ch. 586, § 38, eff from and after July 1, 2004.

We are right on top of it in Ontario in the Surveys Act.

Look to the penalty for obstructing a surveyor !

Right to enter land, buildings

(2) Every person who interferes with or obstructs a surveyor or a person in the surveyor’s employ in the exercise of any of the powers conferred by subsection (1) is guilty of an offence and on conviction is liable to a fine of not more than $100. R.S.O. 1990, c. S.30, s. 6.

I sell Rotary tickets for that !

Cheers

Derek

Odd line of thinking there. If you can step across at the corner, you aren't technically trespassing on someone else's property...they say. I have a problem with that kind of thinking.

First of all, why would you step from one corner of your property to another corner of a different property you own? Apparently you can't drive across or even bicycle across. Could you carry a 20 ft 2x6 with you? If the neighbors install fences up to an inch from the legal corner can you pole vault over the corner post and still be legal?

All- the main crux of this bill was sportsman access to public land or timber comany land. The surveyor side of this wasn't even being considered.

I remember hearing about this about 5 years ago. The reason this "corner hopping" debate started is because hikers were being denied access to public lands that were surrounded or shielded by private lands. Apparently, a hiker found what he considered an access point by corner hopping from one public section to another, by finding and stepping over the section corner. I believe he was removed from the property (don't recall if he was charged with trespassing), when a government employee found him on land they thought to be cut off from public access.

The debate is, is someone trespassing if they step over a section corner, from one public section to another, and never put their foot down on private property

-vs-

The private land owner's right to control the air space immediately above their property.

Now, I too wonder what would happen if the land owners installed 6' fences right up to the section corner and did not leave a gap for someone to step through ...