In 1985, Mr. D owned a quarter section. He had purchased this 20 years earlier. Fences in existence at that time had been built at sometime in the distant past...early 1900's probably. Cross fences, not outer boundary fences. One fence ran all the way from the east side to the west side in the general neighborhood of where a quarter-quarter section might run. That fence was skewed, but, the USDA showed very close to 80 acres to the north of said fence. There was also a fence running north-to-south most of the way across the remaining land south of the fence described above. USDA showed somewhere close to 40 acres on each side of that fence.
In 1986, Mr. D needs money, so he mortgages "North Half of the Southeast Quarter of Section X". In 1987, bank forecloses on him and he deeds them what was mortgaged. Bank immediately sells to another farmer. He and Mr. D. recognize that the fence isn't really where it's supposed to be, so agree to just let sleeping dogs lie. Mr. D and the neighbor are now both deceased.
Son of Mr. D ends up owning "South Half of the Southeast Quarter of Section X". He deeds the "Southwest Quarter of the Southeast Quarter of Section X" to his own son. Grandson mortgages said tract. Son keeps the remainder. Both assume the old north-south fence is the dividing line.
NOW.....Son of Mr. D has agreed to give his daughter a five-acre tract in the southwest corner of "Southeast Quarter of the Southeast Quarter of Section X."
This should be fun! Oh, BTW, there are no record surveys in Section X or any of the adjoining sections since the Government survey in 1865. Stake and pits for corners, no stones. County roads dating from 1870 to about 1890 are somewhat centered along all section lines involved. The odds of finding any remnant of any original stake is extremely close to 1 in a Gazillion.
NOW.....how many times do you get one of those "simple" survey calls that starts out with..."How much to survey five acres?" This is a prime example of why I generally say somewhere between $500 and $10,000.
To paraphrase Walter Sobchak: "Smokey, this is not 'Nam. This is surveying. There are rules."
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/uscode43/usc_sup_01_43_10_18.html
"Simple" surveys...
are the most complicated and expensive...
> NOW.....how many times do you get one of those "simple" survey calls that starts out with..."How much to survey five acres?" This is a prime example of why I generally say somewhere between $500 and $10,000.
Why is that even a prime example? Let's say it's not nearly that complicated......wouldn't that 5 acres be much more expensive than to survey the parent 1/4 section regardless of how complicated it was? I have a hard time with a cost-per-acre valuation.