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Peer reactions to a phone call
How some of our peers react when I call them to explain why their survey is incorrect or missing key information:
Group A. I call because the boundary is incorrect by several feet, or the crew missed the original open pipes 0.5?? from the rebars they set, or a set monument is wrong by 20??. Response: You can almost hear the sigh, as in, oh no, not again. Sometimes they correct their survey, but mostly not.
Group B. Same errors as above, but the response is to drop everything and have it fixed as quickly as possible, followed by a note thanking me for pointing out the problem.
Group C: I call because the topo shows a single line connecting the power poles, but makes no mention of the 240-Kv lines 8?? each side of that centerline even though they certified they have shown ??all utility lines.? Response: Outrage for me daring to question their survey.
Group D: Numerous glaring drafting errors on the drawing, such as the radius and the arc data reversed, or the surveyor??s name misspelled, or a brass cap flush in concrete labeled ??with an attached tag 12345,? Response: I gave the drafter the correct information. Not my job to check the drafting.
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11 Replies
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Went through this yesterday with a very recently recorded subdivision plat done by another local surveyor. North limit of his subdivision abuts a State road where I’m doing a fiber design. He platted the right of way as a prescriptive easement without stating as much, not showing a right of way width or any source for his determination. Just hokey as all get out. All the monuments scale to be just beyond the ditch line. Thought this was a little strange since the platting authority typically requires adjacent rights of way to be labeled and identified. So forwarded the plat to DOT who responded that it hadn’t been submitted to them for review and based on the patent date, was subject the a Public Land Order with a 100′ right of way either side of centerline. I forwarded DOT’s determination to him but I haven’t any expectation that he will respond or fix it. Someone is going to buy that northern most lot and build a house, likely significantly into the right of way the State claims. Can’t not say anything. When a utility goes to the State for a permit to be in the outer 5′ of that ROW and it cuts through someone’s garage, somebody is not going to be too happy.
Willy -
Some of us are mighty lucky compared to others. I would not do well dealing with those who do not care to do quality work at all times.
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Why I chuckle when I read about all the liability surveyors have. How great is it if we have surveyors who don??t correct mistakes pointed out to them prior to damages being incurred due to their mistakes? To ignore it is negligence. Maybe they want to make it easy for the stakeholders.
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My FIRST response when someone says there is a problem with a survey is, “Let me look into it and I’ll call you back”. Then I do my research, check all our data and decide if we (meaning me), indeed, made a mistake or error. If there was an error made then I find out why. Then I call back with my response. I either stand behind my work or issue a revision of the work.
I once found a 50 foot error in the entire rear line of a subdivision. A utility had bought a fee simple right of way for a power line. The rear corners for the subdivision were all set at the edge of clearing for the power line. We had an agreement with the utility to place a waterline on the edge of their right of way. Unfortunately, the power line was NOT in the center of the right of way and 50 feet of the rear of the subdivision lots were the property of the utility. When I contacted the surveyor his response was, “Oops, well that was 10 years ago”. I brought the problem to the attention of our client but do not know the final outcome. I would like to know what property owners said when the contractor came out to clear for the water line though.
Andy
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The worst story I heard was about the easement for an electrical line being shown on the wrong side of the boundary because the surveyor didn’t go to the field to visually see the conduit being laid. Years later, when the land owner tried to put a fence in, he hit the high voltage line, which according to the plan was on the other side of his property, got electrocuted and died.
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Something about our line of work has always attracted hard-headed egotists unwilling to admit any imperfection whatsoever. One of our peers around here actually says “I don’t make mistakes.” First time he said it to me I said “Well, I sure do. I’ve got plans at the Registry that correct prior plans of mine that corrected prior plans of mine.” Part of their reasoning is the theory that admitting any mistake at all is going to get you sued for millions.
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that’s horrible!
And again, why the dead guy didn’t have time to get the locates required by law…
stupid and sad..
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@cee-gee That reminds me of a fellow I worked with one time. His quote was, “I made a mistake one time….I thought I was wrong and wasn’t”. Of course his was said in jest.
Andy
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One of our peers around here actually says “I don’t make mistakes.”
I’ve known several like that. As soon as I hear that nonsense, I know what type of person I’m dealing with.
Probably the smartest guy I’ve ever associated with was my surveying professor from back in college. His knowledge about any small aspect of surveying is more than I’ll probably ever know about the entire breadth of the profession. He was also wise enough to impart this – one of the privileges of being alive is making a mistake.
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Does it mean you??ve never made a mistake if your habit is to call your mistakes errors?
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