Just a little curious, and really want to gripe: In how many (and if any which) states does the "corner monument" shown in this photo meet the minimum standards set forth by the board? Not that it really matters, but this mark is in an urban business district and three of the four corners were very similar to this one (none of the other Xs were scratched any deeper).
This ladies and gentlemen is why I still get phone calls where the perspective client tells me my price it too high, and that they can get it done for less than $500. I guess I should be happy that at least this guy left "something" behind. 
"Minimalistic Surveying"
Not much evidence considered, when determining final boundaries.
Not much evidence left behind, for anyone to hold them accountable.
In the mid '80s we carefully marked 3/8in deep chiseled "Xs" in concrete at an Exxon convenience store & Truck Stop.
About 4yrs ago when looking for them I only found smooth as glass concrete, no visible sign remaining of an "X".
The marking in that picture are temporary at best.
:gammon:
The question is..... Did you improve it?
That is pretty worthless. The marketplace that wants it all at Walmart prices with drive-through convenience is exactly the reason for this sort of, uh, "stuff". How much time does it take to drill a hole in existing concrete and set at least a nail and washer with professional identification? Less than a minute?
On the subject of urban survey markers, here are a couple types that I have some experience with and have found to hold up well. Obviously, the 2-inch Brass Tablet takes more time to set than the 3/8-inch Spike with Punchmark with 2-inch Aluminum Washer in the drill hole.The tablet was countersunk in the pavement with the top of the tablet nearly flush with the pavement surface, but you can see some shoe leather wear on the edges of the tablet. The spikes and washers have held up quite well as long as they are in the top of the curb or sidewalk. Both are Surv-Kap products.
The halos of spray paint are by others.
I have done something like that for a temporary traverse point, but a boundary corner!?! Wow.
Timberwolf and I found a similar chicken scratch on a storm structure this past summer in a commercial subdivision. While I give them a "c-" for effort at least it was more in harmony with the subdivision geometry than the mag nail that the last guy beat .4' away from it. However, in AL neither meet the current Standards of Practice in the State. But both are better than the 16p nail another surveyor tried to use on my property back before I was licensed. I informed him of the Standards and he agreed to try to BS me. When I mentioned the board he reluctantly placed a rebar without cap. The problem from what I have seen is laziness when it comes to placing proper corners in challenging places, which is exactly when proper monumentation is needed.
Many of the old granite curbs in St. Louis and Saint Charles have crosses that are older than anyone alive. Even so, we should be able to do better today.
Berntsen sells some great copper caps that I use. Countersunk them and put a rare earth magnet underneath. They make an MD sing...
I guess I should be happy that at least this guy left "something" behind.
In the US Virgin Islands a recorded survey with every corner an "unmarked point" is acceptable.
The R.L.S. Hospital, the Havensight Cruise Ship Dock, Yacht Haven Marina and Legislature Building come to mind.
And that's the Roy Lester Schneider Hospital, named for the ex Governor and surgeon, not a surveyor.
kkw_archer, post: 369093, member: 5453 wrote: In how many (and if any which) states does the "corner monument" shown in this photo meet the minimum standards set forth by the board?
Definately would not meet MTS in Florida.
In residential subdivisions, I have found scratches on top of power boxes with no apparent reference corners set. In such cases if there is a curb nearby, I cut an x (along an extension of the lot line) with a battery powered saw and show it on my survey with the distance to the corner. If there is no curb, I set a PK nail on the centerline of the road. Alabama SOP does allow for alternate monuments in the event the corner can't be set.
Timberwolf and Mack00079, what city do you work from?
CA statutes dictate a permanent mark, although they don't specify what that means. They also dictate that any monument set is to be marked, at a minimum, with the surveyor's license #. There are plenty of scribed or chiseled marks that had been left as monuments, but if it occurs in a project that has become the subject of a Board complaint, the surveyor is likely to receive a citation for it.
