Realtors, and Recertify with new date
From: K (The Realtor)
- Good morning the your company did a survey 1/28/2016 for D**** B******* on 1413 M***** C***** Road the property is being sold and we were wondering what it would take to have that survey recertified to the new buyer. There have been no improvements to the property since that day and no land transfers on surrounding properties, thank you!!
Me:
- I don’t find D**** B******* on my computer. Do you have anything else? A description, or a shot of the previous plat?
K (The Realtor) Sends me a barely legible copy.
Me:
- OK, I found the drawing… It was done by my dad and his crew. The plat was hand drawn, and typed with a manual typewriter.
What you are asking me to do, is to: Trust you and your client, and client’s neighbors that “All things are the same”. That no pins have been moved, or destroyed. That the Utility companies, and water companies, who like to dig up along the sides of roads, have not removed, and replaced pins, in a haphazard manner. (Like you, and your client, and their neighbors are my field crew, and that without any training, or supervision, have performed this duty, to the satisfaction of Arkansas Min Stds for surveys). And, to accept the liability that comes with it. This will be alot more expensive, than a normal update to the survey.
So, Re-certify, the survey, without field work, (to expedite the time) will be around $ 12,000.00. I don’t have a very clear copy of it at this time. So, I will have to regenerate this in AutoCad. I would also, AFTER THE FACT, be planning to come back, and perform the necessary field work, to be sure that what was sent out the door, was correct. It’s just a matter of timing.
Do you get a commission for being a real estate agent? Yes. If you sold a given parcel of real estate 5 years ago, and you were re selling the same parcel, would you do it for a drastically reduced commission? No, I don’t think so. And, I gently suggest it is an insult to ask me to do this. Really, I’m not offended, but I am aware that many surveyors are generally poor business persons. And, that this “recertify to new client, with new date” has been a common practice, in the past. However, it is not very tenable, in our modern society, where to own and invest in cutting edge surveying equipment, can mean way upwards of $ 100,000 in expense, to learn, and become a licensed surveyor, then set up shop, to provide professional services.
So, to perform a normal update, of a survey that is 5 yrs old, will be $ 3,250.00. And, I can have it done in about 2-3 weeks. This means field work is performed BEFORE the plat is released. This is my prefered way to operate. And, I gently suggest that this is a bargain.
This will include walking the perimeter, with GPS survey equipment, and verifying all the corners, and line marks.
And, a nice clear drawing.Please let me know.
Thank you,
Nate
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OK, this is the communication so far. Could any of you provide me with any suggestions, and advice?
This seems to be an area of “Traditional Self Abuse” that surveyors have learned to accommodate. I really think we all need to re-think the business side of surveying, in many areas.
Thanks for listening.
Nate
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