Do you refurbish monuments?

> How many of you refurbish a recovered monument when found leaning badly or obviously out of whack?

It depends on the situation. If I'm in a rural large-parcel area with not much to go on and I find a pipe that's been hit, I'm likely to straighten it up before shooting and holding it. If I'm in an urban small-parcel area with lots of monuments that hold together well, I'm likely to leave a banged up one as-is and just report it as disturbed.

I dig around it until I see the straight part, then spin it to loosen and pull it up. I then straighten it out and set it back in the same hole.

If it has a lot of corrosion I replace it with a new one putting it back in the same hole and note on my plat what I did.

Just depends on if I have time and I can clearly distinguish the intended position. I've recovered a lot of old GLO rectangular corners around here that clearly have leaned badly due to freeze thaw over time. If it's practical, (the ground isn't frozen), I'll stand it back up and drive a thick stob down next to it to tie it off to before taking a shot. I've been known to pull mangled rebar to straighten if I can clearly determine where it went down. Just depends on the situation and if I have time. If I'm not sure, I leave it as I found it and report it as disturbed. Was taught that it's a part of my duty to protect and perpetuate monuments whenever possible.

Shooting the top of a monument leaning 45+ degrees just seems a bit asinine.

Usually, I'll try to right it as best as I can, if it is obvious that it has been hit.

If it is not so obvious, maybe they had to lean it to make it work. I've seen that also.
So for that scenario, I'll shoot the top as it is, then where I think it would be if straightened, then pick and choose which shot I like better.

A lot of "depends" on this situation. Usually start with locating the top of the bar/pipe as it is, taking pictures, then digging down to see where the POE (point of entry) seems to be, and locate that too. Rarely in these cases is one trip to the field enough, so after further analysis on the office, we'll decide then which position fits best and go from there.
Sometimes a new rebar, other times straightening the existing one will do. Happens a lot, with many different solutions - especially adding in whether or not monument had a cap or tag.

I am in the more conservative camp. If the monument is disturbed it no longer defines the corner. I wouldn't consider straightening and holding without other evidence.

I want to clarify - leaning badly or obviously out of whack – hit by something.
Not driven over a bit to make stakeout coords.

So if I am allowed to pick which position fits best why don’t I just bang the monument around until it’s in the positon I want? What’s the difference?
I doubt many surveyors put in very many bent rebars. Or do they? Or is the rationale that when installing rebar and found to be driven 0.4’ off you just beet the top over until it’s at stakeout and call it good instead of moving entire rebar over and driving straight?

Definition of REFURBISH. transitive verb. : to brighten or freshen up : renovate.

[sarcasm]Isn't the new flagging and/or fresh coat of orange paint enough?[/sarcasm]:-X

I tend to leave them as found but locate the top and where I think it might be if straightened. I also take pictures from different angles.

I was taught by several old time surveyors to do exactly the same thing and commend you for perpetuating the most likely true position of the monument.

Best available evidence of original position...is it mathematics, or the base of a bent monument.

been there- - [msg=231309]done that[/msg]

Or accessories, or ties to nearby corners, or a line of undisturbed original monuments of record, or...?

I was always told to use where the bent rod or mon is straight, usually where it enters the ground. If it is really messed up, use it only for a "check"

-JD-

> I am in the more conservative camp. If the monument is disturbed it no longer defines the corner. I wouldn't consider straightening and holding without other evidence.

If I find a bent pipe at the approximate corner of 4 ag fields and the only other evidence consists of monuments half a mile away, I'll happily straighten the pipe and hold it, even if the distances to those other monuments is off by a foot or two. A bent pipe -- not one that's been torn completely out of the ground, but one that's "disturbed in place" -- beats those half-mile distances any day.

If the 'point of entry' is all I have so be it. I have found that most often there is better evidence. I refrain from rehabilitating the disturbed monument until after the evidence is weighed...

Yes, I do as much as i can within reason and as long as the fix does not destroy anything else as nobody is funding my improvements except my client and myself.

Whenever I find them and can prove that they have been disturbed with other supporting reference marks.

Noted as '[Mark] Disturbed N&C Reset' (N&C = Noted and Checked)
If it's stable as it is and is suitable to leave it might be just 'Disturbed leaning N&C'
If they are just old (such as rotten out Wooden Property Corner Pegs) they are '[Mark] fd Replaced'