Got an email from a surveyor yesterday who is performing a boundary line adjustment in the county for which I'm the Examining Land Surveyor. I'd reviewed the survey on the 24th of last month. It seems one of the parties in the venture was killed in an auto accident on the 1st, so now things are on indefinite hold until the property issues get sorted out. I told him I'd just note it on my log and not invoice the county for it at this time.
I'm not out much - 1.5 hrs of my time. He's got more things to consider. Drop it ? lien the estate?
What have been your experiences in the past?
There is a fine line between selling your humanity and being too soft to be in business. If I could afford to leave someone to grieve without my employees getting hurt I'd let it go. 1.5 hours seems like an easy choice. If someone buys it up and moves forward charge them for the work you did. Otherwise let it go...
I ate one several years ago for pretty much the same reason. The client, an old (both in age and length of time that I'd known him) fellow who didn't have much and wanted to survey the property for possible sale. We had agreed that I would hold the invoice until the property was sold. He died just about the time I completed the field work and I just plain didn't have the heart to bill his widow. Maybe not good business but I don't have any trouble sleeping at night.
Andy
Andy Bruner, post: 435189, member: 1123 wrote: I ate one several years ago for pretty much the same reason. The client, an old (both in age and length of time that I'd known him) fellow who didn't have much and wanted to survey the property for possible sale. We had agreed that I would hold the invoice until the property was sold. He died just about the time I completed the field work and I just plain didn't have the heart to bill his widow. Maybe not good business but I don't have any trouble sleeping at night.
Andy
The ability to look in the mirror is priceless...
As a flip side of this there is a time to bill both buyer and seller.
Seller for straightening out his mess, so it could be sold. Buyer, to add improvements, so he gets his loan.
Hell I have more than 1.5 hours in most of my bids, and I don't get every job. I'd let it go and move forward.
KarMA
Eventually, I will have the oportuniry to survey the property again.
Then I will be able to complete quicker and for more profit.
I did a survey last year that turned out to be a little bit of a fiasco. The property owner was not happy with where I had the lines of his lot. I proved my location several different ways and he didn't like it because the fellow he bought it from said it was somewhere else. Well, just a couple of weeks ago I told the secretary to file a lien. A couple days after that I received a check from a lawyer for the $%$## Estate. Sure enough, late last year the fellow died. I had no idea.
I was taught that we are to not only protect the public, but serve as well. In my book, waiving the fee was a service. Good call.
Me. "What's the difference?"
T.C. Carroll "It's the difference between right and wrong!"
I'm still trying to get past, "Examining Land Surveyor"