Local County Protocols

At our county, there is a list of people that are allowed unsupervised access to the records.

Wide open, baby. If you can find it, you can copy it or, at least, make notes of what it says. Taking pictures is no problem. If you want some help finding something, call me. I'll get you on the right path or tell you it doesn't exist.

imaudigger, post: 441374, member: 7286 wrote: At our county, there is a list of people that are allowed unsupervised access to the records.

I know your county. Its been a few years so maybe it is modernized. The survey index was color coded lines on assessor maps relating boundaries surveyed to the maps so recorded.
I liked to pull Phil's leg by telling him I was color blind and he needed to do my research for me.

I've worked in quite a few counties and every one has it's quirks. No.2 are exactly alike.

Everything except for some preliminary work is available at the county. On the extreme side one state agency keeps all your email, letters, drawings, ect, and you can go on-line for a filing and see all of that.

A while ago, there was a particular county here in Oregon, that when you went in to do research and you told them where your project was, they would bring you a handful of surveys and say this is all you will need. As I remember it you really couldn't do anything about it. Rumor was that since the county Surveyor was also in private practice, he wanted everyone to follow his lead as far as what he had held/set. I just checked and that county's surveys are all on line now.

Are they not public records? I would approach the Clerk and if no relief is found approach the County Commissioners/County Attorney and mention the possibility of filing a Freedom of Information suit. I know that speaking form someone far away that doesn't have to deal with the repercussions of this may not help but they ARE your records.
Andy

Coady, post: 441371, member: 6546 wrote: Ruel del Castillo's post about reviewing our work got me to thinking about when
I go to another county and at their map department I ask for surveys that have been
done in the area I am going to be working. We don't have mandated corner records,
but most every county keeps files of of copies of surveys that are sorted by township, section, etc.
A lot of the older surveys never made it into the County Deed Records. At one county I am not
allowed to do the search myself or even watch as they do it. Since it's my neck in the noose
if I don't have all the information available it really gets next to me. Besides that, I don't consider
an unlicensed individual as having the expertise to decide whether one of those surveys pertain to
my job or not. Has anyone else run into this where you work?

Outsmart the animal and ask for every plat in the township you're working in. Pay the ONE TIME fee for those records and move on. Segregate and file appropriately in your records.

clearcut, post: 441391, member: 297 wrote: I know your county. Its been a few years so maybe it is modernized. The survey index was color coded lines on assessor maps relating boundaries surveyed to the maps so recorded.
I liked to pull Phil's leg by telling him I was color blind and he needed to do my research for me.

The county used to do survey records research for the public. It's been a few years since they were willing to do that.

The color coded maps are just one index method. That doesn't pull in the quasi-public records and unrecorded maps.
The database is the real research tool. It's amazing how many surveyors don't take advantage of the database.

Butte has a treasure trove in the vault, a surveyor's dream.

Yup, at the really rural county I grew up in. When the old blue hairs where there I didn't worry much, but since the staff got younger/less motivated than me I have all the same fears. I keep thinking I might make it past the counter eventually by offering 'help'. I think I am real close. Steve

I work in recording states and am required to reference pertinent Surveys and Plats on my map. I can't sign the map if I don't research it properly.
If you aren't allowed to research then you need to start with gentle education. If that fails gradual escalation until the desired result is achieved is your best option...

Paul Landau, post: 441441, member: 2526 wrote: A while ago, there was a particular county here in Oregon ....

I know the place. This is the same county in which the County Surveyor had a proclivity for pin cushioning himself. I have posted pictures. I do believe that land development in that county suffered as a result of that behaviour - or just the fact that the behaviour was generally approved of.

Another County on the south side of Portland fell behind in the development game because of poor performance by their long time county surveyor and his office. Although they fixed the problem 15 years ago and we are now on the 3rd county surveyor since, they are still playing catch up.