BY ERIC D. LAWRENCE
DETROIT FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER
Martin Dunn, the Macomb County surveyor, talks about the program to re-mark the property lines across the state. It is Michigan's first statewide survey since the 1800s -- and is a job that will take decades.
It's all about finding corners.
Michiga nre-monumnts the whole state.
Did you read the comments?
This was a good one;
"If you wanted to cut non-essential govenment spending in Michigan, THIS would be a great place to start."
Yikes.
Don
Michigan has about 300,000 property corners
I'm not clear what is considered a "property corner" for this project; but 300,000 seems to be an awfully low number.
> I'm not clear what is considered a "property corner" for this project; but 300,000 seems to be an awfully low number.
The Re-Monumentation program is for the perpetuation of PLSS corners, and not individual private monuments. The original objective was to have each county administer things within their county, but it was funded by the state via an additional fee on all recorded documents.
The county would establish a peer group of local surveyors. Then when funding became available the peer group would put out for bid certain areas. Perhaps 1/2 a township, or a portion of town/range line, center of sections, etc. Then the surveyor who got the contract would submit all the proposed locations back to the peer group for approval. That's where the croonyism comes in.
Also, things got real goofed up when they determined that a historical corner is in fact incorrect. Thus the term "property controlling corner" came to be, and may be 20 feet from the "correct" GLO corner. Good luck with that one.
Then the state started funneling those funds to the general fund. Bye bye re-mon money. I think most of the more urban counties are completed, but much of the rural ones have hardly been dented.
Might be some problems with this one alright!
Also, things got real goofed up when they determined that a historical corner is in fact incorrect. Thus the term "property controlling corner" came to be, and may be 20 feet from the "correct" GLO corner. Good luck with that one.
Sorta like a State Board thinking that the only way to subdivide a section is by the Manual Chapter 3 guidelines and any other corners would be wrong?
The "correct" GLO corner being the one that is projected on the original GLO survey plat.
Keith
So Michigan is almost 100,000 sq. miles?
So someone figured about 3 monuments per section.
Guess that's about right if you figure 8 monuments per section and each monument is a monument for another section.
On the other hand.....
> Also, things got real goofed up when they determined that a historical corner is in fact incorrect. Thus the term "property controlling corner" came to be, and may be 20 feet from the "correct" GLO corner. Good luck with that one.
>
> Sorta like a State Board thinking that the only way to subdivide a section is by the Manual Chapter 3 guidelines and any other corners would be wrong?
>
> The "correct" GLO corner being the one that is projected on the original GLO survey plat.
>
> Keith
If this is a remonumentation project and someone found an Original GLO corner and a 2 bit rebar 20' away I guess the "correct" GLO corner would be the original?
DJJ
On the other hand.....
Exactly. I think the idea is to use the PCC and just show the "correct" corner. But it doesn't always work that way. EX: 50 yr old existing subdivisions used the PCC as a 1/4 corner. Along comes Re-Mon guy and finds or sets the "correct" 1/4 cor 20 ft away. The adjacent section is still aliquot and technically should use the GLO corner, but.... Time to punt??
FYI, the 2 bit rebar would have been replaced as a full blown typical monument as used for GLO monuments, and just identified as a PCC. It can get real confusing real fast, especially in the research.
On the other hand.....
No, no, no. The rebar "fits" better. 😉
On the other hand.....
"to the corners of Sections 2, 3, 10 & 11 perpetuated by persons unknown by a 3/4" iron pipe with cap stamped 2 3 10 11, at the corner position I set a standard aluminum post and cap...deposited the iron pipe alongside."
Busy as beavers in Michigan...hardly!
This remon program has been in effect since 1991. In my experience, the county surveyors responsible for implementing their county's remon program usually did it as 'fill-in' work for idle or slow crews - some counties have been much more proactive about it, but I would hazard a guess that out of 80 some odd counties, less than 10% are completed. Believe me this is not work that is gainfully employing anybody or keeping crews busy. Its a great program, but ultimately a typical govt circle-jerk in danger of being redtaped to death
edit: and this quote kills me: "Macomb County historian Don Green said problems may arise because some of the survey work from the 1800s was inaccurate." Good thing they got an expert opinion there
Busy as beavers in Michigan...hardly!
As far as I know only Oakland County is complete. Maybe Kent Co is now too, not sure. Part of Remon. is of course going out and checking everything perpetually as well.