A surveying "friend" referred a client to me recently and I think he may be getting me back after I referred a nightmare client to him some years ago that then got referred back to me, then on to another surveyor who had the gumption to finish it but with a bad taste in his mouth. It's all funny in the end.
This potential new client owns some acreage in my old stomping grounds and wants to sell but isn't on speaking terms with the other joint owner siblings all in different states. I do want the job because I like the area and am familiar with it, with friends living nearby. The client doesn't really know what she wants to do specifically but just wants to sell her part. No can do without signatures from other owners so I am now the mediator trying to get everyone to just get along. There is probably no job I am less qualified for as my bull$#!* meter gets pegged pretty easily. I've made some calls and left messages but the odds of this one working out in the end seem slim. This particular job would be fantastic if there were no client interaction.
This sounds more like Realtor than Surveyor to me.
Why is this woman contacting any surveyor if all she wants to do is sell?
In 1985 I discovered a certain farm was for sale through Wood Real Estate. I knew the property and knew that very few people were buying farmland at that time. The asking price was very fair, so I signed a contract to buy and put down 10 percent in cash as earnest money. My lender was content. All that needed to happen was for the EIGHT siblings to sign off on the contract as well. It was technically their still-living mother's property, but, she had all of them appointed to handle her financial affairs.
I ended up getting my earnest money back.
Several potential issues come to mind for me, the first being that I wouldn't want to get involved in bad blood relationships between siblings. Given the explanation that she gave you, she has a given share of the area of the total, but is her piece of the pie defined in any recorded document?
I would run from this job, instead of looking forward to getting it because multiple feuding siblings are unlikely to agree to anything and I'm not sticking my hand into an active hornet's nest.
Given the family situation, I would advise her to contact whoever prepared the POA, trust, will or whatever documents that give her a share and see if the other siblings are willing to buy her out based on proportionate area and market value.
It has to be done, sluff off these surveys to your colleagues.
It's good business.
Does it really have to be done? Only if there is agreement among the siblings. What happens when it IS done and the siblings don't agree to IT being done?
I wouldn't refer this situation to even the shadiest curb line LS in the area, just to stay out of it.
Not that the survey has to be done, getting it out of the office has to be done.
Simple situation to resolve, "sorry, I can't help with that".
