Sometimes clients take me completely by surprise with the questions they ask.
Once I was standing on a property corner pointing at a line stake about 100' away. I told the client your property corner is here and your property line goes through that stake. The client asked "What is the difference between a property corner and a property line?"
Told another client I would be at his property in a couple of days to perform the field work. Clien asked "What do you mean by field work?"
I realize that most people don't understand technical terms, but come on.
> Sometimes clients take me completely by surprise with the questions they ask.
>
> Once I was standing on a property corner pointing at a line stake about 100' away. I told the client your property corner is here and your property line goes through that stake. The client asked "What is the difference between a property corner and a property line?"
>
> Told another client I would be at his property in a couple of days to perform the field work. Clien asked "What do you mean by field work?"
>
> I realize that most people don't understand technical terms, but come on.
Me and dad used to witness the iron PC's/PT's of the curves along a road with the same type of wood stakes as the corners... and got a few questions and phone calls... Then we started using shorter stakes, and we still got the questions and phone calls. After a while, we just started setting the irons, but not any wood witnesses (maybe write on the flagging) and had no problems after that.
Some clients also have been fixated on the term "corner". To them a corner is 90°. I started using "property angle" or "property point" after that.
Sometimes on a survey with a lot of pc's and pt's and such, I will mark with a pin all points but will only lathe the major corners. All the other points will just confuse some clients.
> Sometimes on a survey with a lot of pc's and pt's and such, I will mark with a pin all points but will only lathe the major corners. All the other points will just confuse some clients.
Exactly.
"Sometimes on a survey with a lot of pc's and pt's and such, I will mark with a pin all points but will only lathe the major corners. All the other points will just confuse some clients."
First we have micromeasurers who want to put dimples a micron apart on a cap and now we have a fellow who insists on having perfectly smooth and circular survey bars for his major corners. I'm rather partial to rebar myself. What speed do you use after clamping the bars into the lathe for turning?:-P
[sarcasm]funny[/sarcasm]
When you show the client the corner, do they have to kick it to know it's real? A lot of my clients do this, especially farmers. They insist on showing me the ones they know about and then kick them. "It's this rod right here!" Thump. My instrument man grits his teeth every time. Lol
Last month, I specified some 1-1/2" caliper dogwood trees on a conservation plan. Client refused, he could not find caliper dogwood trees anywhere.
"Now, do I take this here PLAK to the courthouse and record it?"
After patiently explaining how things work, I sometimes hear, "you mean I hafta hire an attorney, too?"
Patience, my boy, patience!B-)
"Does that amount include my deed, recording fees, Realtor cost and taxes for this year?"
[sarcasm]do they really think I am competing with the title company, the county clerk and the devil, lol[/sarcasm]
I once did a lot survey in a nice area with all sodded yards, landscaping, etc. I dug up a monument about 6" deep in the sod. I rolled the sod back neatly, along with exposing other corners so I could shoot them in.
The lady came out (the seller) and asked why "I had to dig such a big hole".
As I displayed my spade I use is such situations (about 4" wide), I simply replied "It's very difficult to dig a hole smaller than my shovel."
With the deer in the headlight blank stare she went back inside.
The lady came out (the seller) and asked why "I had to dig such a big hole".
Explain to her (in your best pleading voice), "But Ma'am, I had to dig that big of a hole just to be able to get all this dirt back in it".
> The lady came out (the seller) and asked why "I had to dig such a big hole".
I know of a surveyor who was asked why was the hole they dug on her side of the line? He replied "How do you dig half of a hole?"
