In Kentucky the Licensure Board has recently defined the date of survey to be the date the monuments were set. When I sign a plat, the current date goes next to my signature. To me that means I am signing it xxxxxx date.
Florida MTS
5J-17.051 General Survey, Map, and Report Content Requirements.
3. All survey maps must reflect a survey date, which is the date of data acquisition. When the graphics of a map are revised, but the survey date stays the same, the map must list dates for all revisions.
Different dates for different reasons...
If showing improvement locations on the property, I'll state the date of the last field visit, as in "improvements depicted are as observed on mm dd,yyyy..."
The date of my "survey" is the date that I represented my professional opinion with regard to the boundary location. That's after I've completed the research, the field work, the client/neighbor interviews, analyzed the evidence, determined the boundary location, placed the monument on the ground and expressed my opinion to the landowners.
There might be a need for the contract date and the completion date to be determined, but that would only be necessary for any contract dispute. The completion date wouldn't be until all the contract terms have been fulfilled on both sides (i.e. the payment is in hand).
JBS
I have not read all the posts, but the date of survey is when you sign the survey plat.
No different then at BLM, it is official when officially approved.
Keith
If your field crew is out there and monuments everything on Jan 1, 2011 and you don't get drawing done until Jan. 5th, 2011, what if the adjoiner decides he's going to go out and construct a fence, building or other structure on the property you are surveying on Jan. 2, 2011? If they can prove they built it on the date, aren't you opening yourself up to a small window of liability? You produce a survey that says this is the way it is as of Jan. 5th, then that does not accurately depict the time of the survey. I always put the date that we were actually on the ground on mine.
OK Keith, if your state requires irons in the ground before releasing the map, how can you certify that they are in the ground on a day that you have not visited the site to verify them?
I am in the "date of data acquisition" camp.
In every County I have filed R/S maps in California except Sacramento there is a month and year which is the month and year of the field survey. The signature is dated the day of the signature. Sacramento wants the signature month and year on the survey. The County Surveyor signs and dates. The Recorder dates it. So there is more than one date on there.
Keith is there any sort of time frame after monuments are placed in the ground by the BLM to signing the survey or is every survey different? What if someone needed a section corner and the BLM placed it at one location, but later moved it after the surveyor had relied upon it before the survey was officially "signed"? Do you recall this every happening?
Our office sometimes gets backlogged with surveys to be signed, but we stand behind any monument we place in the ground regardless if the survey has been signed, sealed and recorded.
We have one date. That is the final day of field work. I may sign the drawing a day later or a month later, but, the date is still the final day of field work. If three months later there is a need for an additional print of the original survey, it is still signed based on the final day of field work.
J. Penry,
No there is no set date or time frame and sometimes it is ridiculous long time after the pipe are set until the survey is approved.
And yes, it has happened that a pipe has been relied on by a private surveyor and the BLM has determined it was wrong and moved it.
It happens. And of course any surveyor that is utilizing a BLM monument in their survey, should be looking at an approved plat!
Georgia
I am retired from BLM and I know their procedures and I do not know the States procedures here in California.
I simply can't see that a survey is official until there is a signed plat and that is the date the survey is completed.
My opinion anyway.
Keith
Understood. Just trying to explain my rationale for using last date in the field. I knew they were there then, not so sure about now. Several times I did surveys that I was sure the neighbor was going to yank my stakes and or irons afterward.
From the 2009 Manual:
"9-42. The returns of a survey are prepared, approved,
accepted, and filed in the appropriate BLM office on
behalf of the Director, Bureau of Land Management.
The survey only becomes offlcial when it is officially
filed on behalf of the Director by the appropriate Chief
Cadastral Surveyor. Any necessary suspension or cancellation
of a plat or survey shall be made by the same
approving authority." (emphasis added)
I know of instances where BLM monuments were in the ground for years before a survey was filed, so beware of indiscriminently accepting them.
Also from the 2009 Manual:
"9-40. The public lands are not considered surveyed or
identified until approval of the survey and filing of the
plat in the administering land office by direction of the
BLM. United States v. Cowlishaw, 2O2 F. 317 (1913).
No subdivisions are to be "disposed of" until so identifred.
United States v. Hurlburt, 72 F.2d 427 (1934)."
In Nevada you have to put 2 dates - the date you stamp, and the date your license expires. If I have a bunch of copies to stamp you may as well plan on printing a few extras because at some point in the stack I will probably get the dates crossed up.
Right on William D.!
Two dates are necessary, date of field work and date of delivery.
Date of delivery starts the time clock on the statute of limitations for your liability to the client.
Richard Schaut
Leave a trail showing when and what.
I only show one date on a survey and that is the final day of "data acquisition" as spelled out in a post above referencing the Florida laws. I also specify in my drawing notes or report that the improvements shown on the survey existed as of the date of the field survey. If a revision is made, then it is properly dated and noted in the notes and revision block.
I also specify that he survey was prepared based upon the current survey regs as they existed on the date of the field survey.
Same here Joe. I understand that others are under other state regs so and are bound by them. Unless Florida revises the reg., only the last date of field work and any revision dates for me. Good to obtain the views of others !
