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How do you describe our role to landowners?
dave-karoly replied 3 years, 9 months ago 11 Members · 22 Replies
Knowledge is one thing. Promoting/advocating is a completely different issue.
Create what agrees with the known requirements. If needed, answer questions to show that your work is in agreement with their known requirements. That is not advocating. That is merely conforming. Advocating starts when you attempt to alter those known requirements to the advantage of your client and then attempt to sway the thinking of those involved in the approval process. Quite frequently those doing the approval will attempt to introduce new requirements. Pointing that is out is not advocating. It is simply bringing it to the attention of all that you must work with documented requirements only, not the wishful thinking of some who don’t have the immediate authority to enforce that wishful thinking.
So, you have a guy who loves curvy streets and an approver who loves straight streets. So long as the existing policies allow for both kinds all you are doing is citing the policy. You are not advocating.
If the subdivision is denied or changes must be made to get it approved, that is no different that some judge ruling in a way you don’t like. Don’t get all worked up about it. Do the technical functions that surveyors are licensed to do. Stay out of politics as much as humanly possible.
With respect to boundary surveys, Land Surveyors determine the location of the objective boundary as determined from public record, other written record, and physical evidence, surveyor monuments in particular. If any objective uncertainty arises the Land Surveyor may use judgment to make a determination or may find that the property owners need to take action to effect a remedy.
Although nothing in Law stops a Land Surveyor from determining a boundary at a subjective location (the most common example is where the property owners have agreed to a fence although it doesn’t fit the Deed descriptions) it is best to leave that to the property owners to resolve or a Judge if they are insane.
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