I've seen some wacky road or street right of way.?ÿ One case that pops into my mind immediately was a case of an existing county road that angled across a large tract in town (sort of) to enter the next tract to the west.?ÿ The center line of that angling road entered the west tract about 60 feet south of its northeast corner.?ÿ The new (city) street began a curve at that point that eventually had the north right of way boundary hitting the north line of that west tract and then following that north line for a distance to the west.?ÿ This left a ridiculous near-triangle between the curb line and the property boundaries.?ÿ So, they simply added it into what was labeled to be street right of way.?ÿ That area is of no value to anyone.
Can think of a city subdivision from the 1880's that had the east-west lines parallel with the north section line and the north-south lines parallel with the west section line.?ÿ The angle in the northwest corners of each lot was something like 96 degrees.?ÿ If long houses were built parallel to the side lot lines, they would be crooked as viewed from the street.?ÿ If built perpendicular to their front property line, they could easily get built over the sideline onto the neighbor's property.?ÿ The west boundary of the subdivision was bordered by 25 foot lots, thinking they would be business lots.?ÿ Most today are residential lots.
The real test is gonna be to measure between the 1924 house and the 1925 house and see if there is any alignment suggesting that they were both built to the same stakes with the same setbacks. The monuments look like 1937 WPA era, copper nails or brass pins in concrete, newer than the houses and a possibly less accurate perpetuation of the original corners.
Our plat was recorded in 1875, and consisted of almost 100 blocks. The subject property is in the last tier of blocks to the South, where the plat was bounded by a 50 foot wide ROW. Later the ROW was vacated and became part of another plat, so we have a "long block" that is 2 blocks long N-S.
I started by going around the block. Good so far. Then I realized that by going around the block I was breaking what my most Seattle-aware mentor regarded as a firm rule: Don't go outside the plat
The closest monument is missing, and depending on which previous survey is to be believed, there is a missing surface disc, a missing mon in case, or a missing PK nail. It is not a good location for playing in traffic.
There are two PKs in the sidewalk as offsets, one is within the plat, one is not, but set for the same survey.
The monuments to the South are for another plat entirely. Which leaves me thinking, gosh, I have to go North a block into the plat and extend those lines and possible ignore the monuments to the South except as documentation. I am a little stumped as to how to proceed. If I hold the lot lines parallel to the North line of the block, it may conflict with the previous surveyors who prorated the whole block from the south. Not by much. We're talking tenths. The south end of the block has a "variable right of way" where they did square blocks and left the excess in the ROW rather than the last lot. Other surveyors working my block have shown those monuments with distance and bearing from the North but punted on calculating or showing the variable ROW or a line connecting the mons.
Trying to decide if I want to stake what I have calculated or go observe the other two monuments to the north and recalculate. There will be a new ornate cedar fence on the lines moments after I set the corners so I want it to be right.?ÿ
?ÿ
Without coordinates and a rough sketch it's tough to envision your situation (for me), certainly does sound like a rough situation, but most certainly you DO need to extend out of your plat and establish JR/SR rights, rebuilding the tract lines and then go from there. If I'm picturing this correctly. Your mentor may have led you a stray. My 2 cents
Don't you think the mentor intended "Don't go outside the plat IF you have the plat boundary"?ÿ ?
If I was trying to establish the boundary of the plat I would look at the legal description of the plat and the adjoining plat for clues in how it was laid out. If the description is metes and bounds it may suggest to hold the plat dimensions, if it is a section subdivision but the lots are all regular that may suggest that prorating between both blocks is justified.?ÿ You could look for clues to the E/W also to establish the line.?ÿ
I would question how did the vacated street become part of the other plat, could be that both plats were portions of the same persons property?ÿ
?ÿ
I don't have the patience to try to understand the details here without a map. The rule you were taught is only applicable if it doesn't lead you to ignore the best available evidence of where the boundary is. I can imagine scenarios where it would.?ÿ
Would be wondering how the surveyor to the south did what he did without crossing over into your plat?????
The only time the addition of a couple of tenths creates a problem is when someone ends up pregnant. ?????ÿ
It appears you may be the first to put forth a solution for your block.?ÿ Do your best and roll on.?ÿ Who can prove you are wrong?
Do your best and roll on isn't bad advice, but the question of how to do your best still needs to be answered.?ÿ?ÿ
Not all final answers can be based on as much data as one would prefer.?ÿ It doesn't exist.?ÿ One must learn how to deal with that reality.
In other words, no guts, no glory.
If there were always enough data to arrive at exact, unique answers, anybody could do it.?ÿ That is why we get paid the big bucks.?ÿ To absorb the risk of having someone else come along at some future date to debate the solution we chose.
I am not a fan of rigid application of rules.
I write a manifesto and I want nothing, yet I say certain things, and in principle I am against manifestoes, as I am also against principles.
- Tristan Tzara
@james-fleming A lady on Facebook said she was married to a Fascist then a Leftist.
She complained that neither one of them WOULD TAKE OUT THE GARBAGE!
What kind of world do we live in?
One where far too many have no concept of cardinal directions.
The fascist should take out the garbage for the glory of the household.?ÿ The leftist I could see wallowing in it though, yeah.?ÿ ????ÿ
