Got a call for a 10 Acre parcel survey.
The parcel is long and narrow E-W long, N-S narrow, 1800x250, more or less, it's not a rectangle the width varies.?ÿ
The kicker is it doesn't have access, or maybe it does, no one is sure, so the owner wants to establish an easement.?ÿ
On top of that through the middle of the parcel according to the GIS is a fenced path, from experience I know that path is an old stock trail which is 100' wide. I don't know if the stock trail conveys public access, but I do know that if it bisects the 10 acre piece that property is almost useless. I suspect the GIS is way off and maybe the 10 acres sits all north of the trail or the south parcel line might be the trail centerline. The owner is in a huge hurry and says they don't have any money to pay for a survey until it sells.............
I told them I'm really booked up and can't get to it for over a couple of months, then forgot about it. Today they call saying to put them on the schedule.?ÿ
And you said, "Put down a big deposit, I'm not waiting for the land to sell to get paid."
OR
"I've decided not to take on this job. You will need to call someone else."
Tell us "The Rest of the Story".
?ÿ
As long as they understand:
- No easement is not because of your survey
- The location of the old stock trail is where it is, out of your control too
?ÿ
You're golden!
?ÿ
1. If you are going to be the bank on this job, you need to charge for that.
2. The responsibility for your bill is not dependent on the result of the survey. If the sale falls through, they still owe you. To that end....
3. Include the "Notice to Lein" paperwork in your signed contract. And,
4. Be prepared to end up owning this parcel.?ÿ?ÿ
I'm not taking this one, I'd probably be ahead to send them $500 to say no thanks than to take it on.?ÿ
I recommended another surveyor
Isn't that kind of like throwing the next guy under the bus
I recommended another surveyor
I was watching a youtube by a guy in a different profession yesterday. He said that when potential problem clients asked for a referral he would give them the name of his least favorite competitor, not of friends. Send the problems to enemies.
I gave them the name of a good surveyor, we send clients back and forth sometimes.?ÿ
There are others around but we get along well with them, it's not really competitive, there's too much work and too few surveyors.
potential problem clients
Potentially, this isn't a problem client; more like a client with a problem...
Potentially, this isn't a problem client; more like a client with a problem...
Don't all clients have problems? Isn't that why they pay us?
It's the potential problems, they don't even know they have yet; that's the problem
?ÿ
@dougie?ÿ
More like both, if I shut down taking clients today I'll have almost a year of steady work. I can't take everything, it used to be that I went after it all, I've learned to discriminate.?ÿ
I suspect this might be an orphan parcel created when some iffy surveys happened in the township during a highway project. Back then DOT was big into proration and this area has brass caps 300+' from old fence corners. There weren't any original stones found in the township except a few along the township lines during the DOT project. This parcel looks like a gap that may have been created and later sold off for taxes, there are other similar tracts in the county. So really the deed holder might not actually own anything if the sectional lines are straightened out. I can say the old ranches ignored the brass caps and still to this day operate using the fences. No access, iffy chain of title, old stock trail bisecting it, ranches occupying the actual land, what could go wrong.?ÿ?ÿ
Life is too short to jump on every opportunity.?ÿ We must have time to spend those huge stacks of cash our clients assume we have.
