Basically this is more or less about surveying.
I've been fight uphill battles since about 2000.
Our state laws(OHIO) specifically states that the county engineer "shall" be the county tax map draftperson(was drafstman but was changed a few years back).
Our county engineer refuses to perform this duty . . . has for about 10+ years now.
The county auditor, instead, performs the duty of updating and maintaining the county tax maps. These maps are used to determine the taxable amount of lands. The county engineer told me that the county auditor told him "he will not", perform his "mandated" duties . . . what?
I have no doubt that the reasons are numerous as to why the county engineer is, according to law, responsible for updating and maintaining these maps.
I also have no doubt as to the reasons why state laws, as well as our own county regulations require that the county engineer review new surveys and approve them BEFORE the county auditor can accept them for transfer.
The law is also specific in stating that this "duty"(tax maps) is to be performed with no additional funding. This becomes more plain to me when I realize that the county engineer is the ONLY elected official whose funds do not come from the general funds(his funds come from fuel taxes, which makes his funding not subject to what "his" tax maps show). I consider this something like a check & balance or an issue of conflict of interest. The Ohio Attorney General has rung in on this issue a few times, each time stating the same and even going further by stating the county auditor "cannot" perform these duties . . . still . . . no one cares.
EVEN the Ohio BOR has ruled that a professional surveyor must review(or directly supervise), the review process. At present only unlicensed GIS personnel review surveyor's maps and even though the BOR has a very pointed ruling on this, they haven't acted on my complaint in a year now(they always tell me the investigation is going forward). WTF?
ANYWAY, I'm learning not to care about any of this any more.
I'm also learning not to care about our county recorder not allowing "ANY OUTSIDE EQUIPMENT" to be used to copy any recorder's records, even though the Ohio Attorney General has ruled(just lately), that such a restriction is illegal and that the recorder is very limited to what can be proven to be physically detrimental to the records. Since she still allows ANYONE(general public), to come into the courthouse, open the deed book, take a page out and make a copy, I see her actions as completely disingenuous(sp) by allowing a much more damaging action with the records.
AT the same time, she also refuses to allow the county engineer to make certified copies(redrafted) of map records that are disintegrating(over 11-12 years now) and of which some in fact have pretty much completely disintegrated. Ohio has specific laws allowing the county engineer to make these newly drafted maps to then allow the original to be better protected. BUT only if the recorder requests the commissioners to request the engineer to do so. So much for protecting records.
I've grown so sick of these problems, along with the lackdazzicle attitude of the other surveyors from this area(these problems don't exist anywhere else in Ohio. It's like laws just don't work in this area).
With 3 older brothers dead(all different causes), I think I'm rather tired and weary of EVERYTHING involving the area . . . including surveying too.
I think that life as a bum living under a bridge would be more satisfying to me and I can't wait to get out of all of it and begin living a bum's life on my sailboat.
it just can't come fast enough.
Good to hear from you again.
Enjoy your boat -
KS
Ha ha ha... when life just blows... classic.
Do you need a first mate with experience? 😉
Ok...I'll be the profeesor..
LEARNING not to care anymore (Or Key to Happiness)
The key to happiness:
Lower your expectations.
anyone can file a "writ of mandaemus" this forces any govt employee to do their job or quit losing all pay and benefits---tdd
years ago i threatened a sheriff to give me a pistol permit, he refused saying he and only he controls who has a gun in HIS county--i went straight to the county attorney requested to file the writ--he called the sheriff, the permit was waiting at the front desk all fees were waived---tdd
LEARNING not to care anymore (Or Key to Happiness)
Welcome aboard, you salty ol' rascal.
Ohio is not the only place where all sorts of rules, statutes, laws, mandates, whatever......are routinely unenforced by those who should care about their being enforced. Just ignore it and it will go away, seems to be the logic involved. This makes me think of a very old comic of The Family Circus where Jeffy is running nude through the house with his eyes closed because he thinks that closing his eyes will prevent anyone from seeing him running nude.
Glad to see you found this place. Someone on this forum was asking about you just the other day.
I would recommend using a certified Ohio Open Records Request letter to the
county recorder in order to use copy equipment. If they refuse, indicate in
the letter that you will contact the attorney general and file a complaint. Also
send a copy of your certified letter to the five major newspapers in Ohio.
Usually government officials have five to ten days to respond to your
request. The surveyor got a positive response from four of the five clerks
who denied him access to the deed records.
A land surveyor, that I know, actually does marketing at the courthouses
in a couple of states where he has licenses. He scans the most recent
deeds to build his mailing list of attorneys, developers, right-of-way
agents, construction companies, etc. He has a small company (one
crew and a draftsman) and picks and chooses the jobs he wants. He even sells electronic copies of the deeds to attorneys and title companies.
Thought some of you that have been following posts by John and myself on this might be interested to know that on May 24, 2012 the Ohio Board of Registration issued an opinion "Regarding the Supervision of Surveying in the County Tax Map Office". I believe the board circulated the document to the County Auditors Association and County Engineers Association to be forwarded to their members as part of the release.
Although I believe John was planning to retire (or already has) this document is something he had been trying to get created for over a decade. Both John and I posted on the other board about this situation in 2005 or before.
LEARNING to care again
> Thought some of you that have been following posts by John and myself on this might be interested to know that on May 24, 2012 the Ohio Board of Registration issued an opinion ....
I think it's great that you have driven this to this point. But I sense that your work is just beginning.
yeah for John
Good ^@*#&%^'& job!
Took me a minute, but without all the other characters, I didn't realize it was you until the sail boat comment.
Good to see you bro!
these problems don't exist anywhere else in Ohio
John sure they do, i know exactly what your talking about. southern ohio it exists. and i too have a problem with it. i got a call the other day, from a lawyer. i did a survey 16 years ago and it has tranfered a couple times since then. but now the gis "professional" says it is and i quote "wrong" because it doesn't fit into his may right. so yep. i understand.
MAP not MAY..LOL
> yeah for John
>
> Good ^@*#&%^'& job!
LOL......:good: