I have done this in the past when subdividing a parcel in NC. The property was around 17 acres and I was cutting a house and 1 acre out of it. The house was in one corner of the parent parcel, based on the deed and an original survey I was able to determine the boundary I needed, to cut out the parcel. There was no need to survey the entire 17 acres in order to do this.
That is probably true but my County requires that the boundaries of ALL parcels involved be surveyed...
Here in Texas, sometimes one or more of the boundary lines being depicted within the project are patent lines. I have only seen 10% of the surveyors out of the 300 +/- plats I that have examined with this circumstance that have examined actually looked for and determined where the the original patent lines were. All of the other surveyors accepted monuments set at the corners of the particular tract being surveyed or adjoining tracts that were set within the last 5, 10, 20 years.
So much for, "When delineating a boundary survey as an integral portion of a survey, the land surveyor shall:
?ÿ ?ÿ(1) Respect junior-senior rights for boundary retracement;
?ÿ ?ÿ(2) Follow in the footsteps of the original land surveyor;"
Almost without exception, when I would casually question the surveyor of record of said plat, the answer had to do with money.
If the previous surveys left a record, and from the record it apperars that the previous surveyors "followed the footsteps" and there has been harmonious acceptance of their line there is no reason to redo their work.?ÿ
?ÿ ?ÿ(1) Respect junior-senior rights for boundary retracement;
?ÿ
Shove that one down the throat of those who refuse to provide a boundary opinion.
@aliquot?ÿ
Not to mention that a great many of those patent lines were poorly monumented at the time of issue, if at all.
@aliquot My point is, there is no record of ground search, no record of deed research, no attempt to resolve or determine those patent lines shown on their plats, except to locate a few monuments nearby, when the original monuments, or replacement monuments with provenance may exist. My point is, without that evidence, why would anyone accept a survey "performed" by another? If one does, he has failed, at least in Texas, to meet the minimum standards set by the TBPELS. He is also responsible for any shortcomings or errors in the work that he accepts from another.
@rover83 Is the answer to not even attempt to locate those monuments? How does one know they were " poorly monumented" if one doesn't make the attempt to find them?
I did not state that I would not attempt a search. I was commenting on the post by @aliquot that raised the issue of bona fide rights, which have to be considered when talking about parcels of such age as original patents.
Texas is a big state and parcels vary greatly depending on where they are located. I worked there for eight years, from expensive downtown block surveys, to 300-lot subdivisions in the suburbs, out to the shale plays scratching around for some of those patent lines to define mineral rights.
On the occasions that I did get to search for patent lines in rural areas, where the least amount of development had taken place, evidence was hit-or-miss. When we did find evidence, it was often difficult to say with any degree of certainty that it was in fact original.
A great deal of those patents were issued in the early 19th century. The vast majority have changed hands, been partitioned, and occupied since that time.
Perhaps earlier surveyors blew off original monumentation. Perhaps not.
But I'm not going to make the blanket statement that they erred in their professional duties because they show no original evidence on their plats. Their survey narrative should make it clear what they based their opinions on.
It would take a lot for me to disrupt a century plus of occupied boundaries existing in repose, as well as the historical survey record. I'm not saying I wouldn't do it, but it's a high bar to clear.
My point is that an overwhelming number of surveyors don't make any effort to find original locations.
@aliquot My point is, there is no record of ground search, no record of deed research, no attempt to resolve or determine those patent lines shown on their plats, except to locate a few monuments nearby, when the original monuments, or replacement monuments with provenance may exist. My point is, without that evidence, why would anyone accept a survey "performed" by another? If one does, he has failed, at least in Texas, to meet the minimum standards set by the TBPELS. He is also responsible for any shortcomings or errors in the work that he accepts from another.
It sounds like the previous surveyors failed too. When you referred to previous surveys I assumed they were competent surveys. Apparently not.
