She hasn't signed more than a dozen surveys in the past 5 years.
Her justification for all of this is she claims it's in Wattles.
No need for "a distance of" In fact my personal preference is less is more, or as Wattles would say. the term is implied unless stated otherwise.
I Prefer to say found or set prior to the monument call.
Petty and redundant.
Now if she can point to your state statute that makes Wattles the final say on style, well then, you can thank her for showing you the light. 😉
If another surveyor can stake it with certainty, it is correct.
However, the reason we write legal descriptions is so lay people can read them.
Therefore, "for a distance of" is easier for laypeople to read.
If you say something like "thence the following COURSES:
X BEARING, X',
x bearing, x', etc, is easier for others to read.
ww co pls
I have to jump on the Wattles bandwagon here too. I looked, but could not find his reference to "a distance of." I agree about adding it where it could be confused with another number, as in Wattles' Lot Number example.
I prefer "set" after the description, as you do, but it really is a matter of style. As Mr. Cow notes above, all surveyors in your firm should use the same style, as long as it is correct.
She is not asking you to use the inane, redundant "to a point" is she?
Ken
:good:
Something to think about
If one were to include "a distance of" in front of each distance in a description should they not also put "on a bearing of" in front of each bearing?
On section 5.10 and 5.11 Wattles is not using a "distance of", in example 4 is like the example you used in your original post.
I would ask her what section she read that used "distance of" as an example.
I used a "distance of" in my metes and bounds I like the way is reads, sometimes I put set/found before the rod sometimes after, but I always say if I found or set the rod.
Tommy,
For years I/my firm use/uses the following style:
: thence run North 89 degrees 46 minutes 23 seconds East a distance of 425.88 feet to a 5/8 inch iron rod (labeled: LB0000) set at the intersection with the Southerly right of way line of....
As one previous poster stated, I do it for ease of understanding by lay persons (the people I prepare this for).
As for descriptions prepared by others, my only concern is being able to follow it.
ubenhavin(?)
> If another surveyor can stake it with certainty, it is correct.
>
> However, the reason we write legal descriptions is so lay people can read them.
There's no requirement that lay people be able to comprehend a legal description; only your first sentence is salient. Other surveyors (and the courts) are the target audiences of legal descriptions.
I agree the only people you have to write a legal description for is another surveyor to be able to read and follow.
However it sure does cut down on the phone calls if the person hired you can read and understand the survey.
Having worked with other licensed surveyors most of my career I kind of like the fact that we all had our own styles. I can look at twenty year old descriptions, and plats for that matter, and identify the guilty party. With new surveyors in our office I encourage them to come up with their own style, as long as it meets the criteria for readability, adequacy and professional appearance.
Tommy,
I also use "for a distance of", but I use "to a one-half inch capped iron pin found (or set)". Saying "to a set (or found) iron pin" sounds backerds to me, but I don't reckon there ain't nothing wrong with either style. Sometimes I will use the symbols for degrees, minutes, and seconds, instead of spelling them out, if it's a long description and I'm crowded for space on my plat, but I prefer spelling them out, including feet, which eliminates any interpretation of said measurements.
#1 - I like the Wattles example given. Sometimes it makes sense and sometimes not.
#2 - Same as #1. For instance: "to a set iron pipe. Thence; " versus "to an iron pipe set on the division line between...."
Depends on what comes before and what follows.
I do it like you boss's way.
I have wasted a great deal of my life talking to lawyers about a legal description that is good, unique and retraceable by other surveyors, but can't be understood by the lawers. If what we did was only for surveyors, we would not have to write out what we do in English words.
ww co pls
If the conversation were coworker to coworker, I'd say you are both right.
When the conversation is boss to coworker, boss wins.
No right or wrong but here's how I do it.
Thence - N xxxxxx E-500.00 ft to a 1/2" rebar (set).
Use deg, min, and sec symbols. Use ft. so they dont misread as minutes. At the first mention of a set monument I also add this (all 1/2" rebar referred to herein as (set) are 1/2" dia by 24" long rebar with a whatever kind of cap inscribed "whatever is inscribed" set this survey). Only have to explain it once that way.
> When the conversation is boss to coworker, boss wins.
I'm not so sure about that. It may have been that simple for me when I was 10 years younger but maybe not now. Passive/Aggressive resistance is a powerful force that has frustrated more than one dogmatic ruler. If my boss pulled this sort of thing I would agree to do it her way out of a desire to be a team player only after we cleared up the matter of who was "wrong" and who was "right" vs. who is attempting to be overly controlling of fellow professionals.
