Gotta love this

Kinda like the people who say "I don't want a survey, I just want to know where my line is", or "I dont want to file anything official" when you know that state law requires it.

I'm spoiled

In the county I do most of my work in all I need is an address (if the caller doesn't know his/her address, I tend to shy away from the job).

Once I have the address I can go to the survey control GIS website

Clicking on the control station at the intersection will bring up a pdf of the data sheet. Clicking on the parcel will bring up:

A menu with links to the State Department of Taxation information for the parcel (owner, tax account, current deed book and page, last three previous owners and the date of conveyences...) and to any recorded subdivision plat magically appears thanks to the GIS fairies (not that there is anything wrong with their lifestyle choice 😉 )

Next step, zoom in and bring up the 2007/2008 aerial photos to see what the site looks like:

Ah, nice and open, if I can work around all the trucks and junk.

I can now download any deeds and plats for free, even going back as far as the patent and survey from 1761 below. (hard to read on beerleg, but no problems back here at the Bat Cave)

I can also get the controlled 2' topography from another part of the web site and convert it from the GIS format to shapefiles and drop them right into Carlson. I wouldn't design a storm drain outfall from them (but i wouldn't do that from any aerial topo), but as a base map for say, wetlands delineation or a subdivision plat in a well and septic area where I'm required to show that the well and house site are above the approved septic, or a preliminary plan, I'm good to go.

Anytime day or night, all from the comfort of

Now if only the government had surveyed everything before the land was conveyed, prepared a bunch of easy to retrace simulations conveyances, and wrote me a manual that told be how to survey it in an easy step by step manner, I'd have it made. 😉

I'm spoiled

But with GIS coordinates on the lot corners to the 16th decimal place why would you want to survey it? Just compute the line for splitting the lot and TADA!! The world would be a whole lot easier if we'd just trust these maps!!! (Sarcasm off)

Andy

I'm jealous

Here in Mass, we have online access to all registries, but the property tax maps are the responsibilty of the indvidual cities and towns. With 351 of them, the local information can vary widely from ancient paper maps to interactive municipal GIS like you show. The other info, contours, wetlands, etc I can get from MASSgis, the statewide GIS.

I'm spoiled

Nice looking office James! I wish I could always keep my desk that clean. Hopefully when the economy improves, you'll be able to place a knob on that door.

I'm spoiled

Wow! That's amazing. Um, why does anyone call you anymore?

I'm spoiled

> Nice looking office James! I wish I could always keep my desk that clean. Hopefully when the economy improves, you'll be able to place a knob on that door.

If I put a doorknob on, then my wife is going to make me lease an office downtown and move out of the sun room 🙁

I have found in business, you have a short opportunity to be selected for a project. I have found if you ask for too much information you can be perceived as unknowledgeable and/or incapable. We all have to assume or anticipate conditions when preparing a proposal and wish for the best.

Gene

That's true of some potential clients. If you ask a lot of pesky questions like "What's your address?" and "What would you like me to do?" you can be viewed as a PITA to deal with.

> I have found in business, you have a short opportunity to be selected for a project. I have found if you ask for too much information you can be perceived as unknowledgeable and/or incapable. We all have to assume or anticipate conditions when preparing a proposal and wish for the best.

That's true, but w/ a lot line adjustment here near Seattle, a 1 acre one is quite different than a 10 acre one. Surveys around here for this service require a detailed topo. He wouldn't allude to any details on anything really, so he can go somewhere else if he's being that hard to deal with. Tire kickers...

So really, you'd give the guy a price with no real detail on how big the parcel is and without a legal? Really?

I am not educated on the needs or wants of a surveyor in California when preparing a proposal; I made a general statement that I sometimes give proposal without having all of the details I would like to have. Apparently surveyors in your area felt comfortable enough to do just that. I had a developer client give me some advice which, if not always applicable, has served me well, “Don’t let perfection get in the way of excellence.”

That is very nice. I expect that many areas will

be slowly moving that direction.

Probably a dumb quest, but what exactly is a lot line adjustment?

> Probably a dumb quest, but what exactly is a lot line adjustment?

In Maryland it is when you are changing a lot line between two existing lots, and not creating any new lots.

It can be less expensive than a full blown subdivision if it is allowed in that county or town.

I really think he was making up the fact that "all the others did." I know a lot of surveyors in the area that would never give a price for a service without knowing a bit about the property in question. I was just making a statement that shows that some folks aren't willing to divulge much info.