Mark (Norman Oklahoma) - Your sentiments about our ROE statute is the very same as expressed by the Umpqua Chapter of PLSO.
It can a small inconvenience to provide notice.
However, a polite, respectful surveyor would attempt personal notice without the ROE statute just to acknowledge private property rights and to obviate the situation of staring at the business end of a loaded firearm.
Anyway, since I do not review Beer Leg every day, what the heck are you doing in Oklahoma?
Scott
> It can a small inconvenience to provide notice.
Suppose you are doing a boundary on a residential lot in Portland. One that was originally platted around the turn of the last century. You may very likely have to search every corner on the block, plus most of the adjoining blocks. That will easily add up to 30 or 40 lots. As you walk down the sidewalk and wave your pin finder over a corner you have "entered" two properties. The board has so ruled. Of course, it's no big deal to talk to a land owner, but talking to 30 or 40 of them gets to be a burden. The price of a lot job in Portland is already astronomical.
Such a lot job already costs $2500 bare minimum in Portland. Plus recording fees ($300 in Multnomah County). If a surveyor followed the letter of the ROE law he would add yet another significant cost to that. Instead, most just roll the dice and hope they don't alert that one "sidewalk attorney" that lives in every neighborhood. Sometimes they roll snake eyes.
> Anyway, since I do not review Beer Leg every day, what the heck are you doing in Oklahoma?
Work dried up in Portland. My son, who is a surveyor here in Norman, and was having trouble finding qualified help, invited me to join him. So I'm here at least until things turn around in Portland. Maybe longer. We will see.
Scott
I brought up the subject of simply talking to the adjoining (or affected) landowners at a PLSO chapter meeting one evening last year. A board member of OSBEELS (initials DL) was there who stated that our ROE was a statutory issue and that we were REQUIRED to provide the requisite notice prior to entry. A simple conversation and permission did not comply with the statute, according to his interpretation. OSBEELS has also indicated that leaving a business card in the door is also not adequate. I understand that PLSO will soon be printing new door hangers with the complete new statute to comply with the requirements.
I suggest you contact DL and clarify this.
