Ok,
I have a boundary survey in PA. I have a 1974 survey showing a "stake" set and each end of a particular line It is not the original survey. On the ground the south end of the line is marked by a pipe that is close enough to consider good. About a third of the way up that line is another pipe of similar type just inside a woods line and is online with a old barbed wire fence line that the starts at the woods line also. No monument is shown at this location on the 1974 survey. The fence line remains continue for about another third of the total distance and then disappear at the base of a very steep hill. Continuing up the hill to the north end point of the line we recovered only 2 blazed trees basically facing each other about 15 ft apart. When I compute the survey parcel boundary it fits well to the south pipe and pipe online. The problem is the computed corner, holding the south pipe and passing through the pipe online is roughly 17 offline and short from the center point of the blazed tree faces. basically the computed line doesn't fall in between the two trees. Do the blazes hold? Do I put an angle point in the line, and set a pin between the blazes, even though there shouldn't be an angle pt? Do the pipes hold for a starting point and line because they corroborate the location of the other monuments? Should I disregard the blazes? Any Ideas?
Also, Anyone know of good reading regarding the legality of tree blazes in PA?
Thanks...
?ÿ ?ÿ
Hello,
A question I have is, are those blazes triple blazes as marking a corner on the trees or are they single blazes marking line. If they are single blazes, at this point in time I would not place a lot of merit in those blazes. If?ÿ there are only two blazes showing line, you really can't get a good idea where the line was run on the ground. Also, I have seen blazed lines when they come to a steep hill go off of course due to the fact they were run with a compass. I have worked for?ÿsurveyors who?ÿmark property lines this way and it has always made me uneasy because it doesn't take a whole lot to get off of course in a hurry. Also, you may get in to a rocky section and their is a?ÿhigher iron content in the rocks?ÿand it will change the compass a little bit throwing you off course. Also, I have seen foresters mark line?ÿand it be off. One more thing to consider with the pins you are holding, do you know who set them? There is a possibility that the landowner or?ÿ the adjoiner may have set them. I would take stock with the physical evidence that you have found while out doing your field work and see where it guides you to. You may have to do some more field work on an adjoiner and try to locate evidence on them and see where it guides you to.?ÿI hope this gives you some ideas. I have done a lot of work throughout PA and have come across a few situations just as you described.
Fence remains are evidence of original line.?ÿ 1974 survey and pipe corroborate the fence remains.?ÿ Pipe of unknown origin corroborates the fence remains and 1974 retracement.?ÿ Blazed trees indicate someone thought the line went between them after a tough climb and attendant difficult measuring task.?ÿ Blazed trees stand alone, do not corroborate and are not corroborated by any other evidence (physical or record); they don't fit the record of measurement in the 1974 retracement.?ÿ Blazed trees are probably too recent to be evidence of original survey, so at best might be evidence of erroneous retracement work in 1974 trying to traverse up the steep incline.?ÿ Absent any better evidence, I would hold the fence?ÿline as previously?ÿmemorialized by the?ÿpipes.
You survey a boundary in PA, not a line. One has to consider the date of the blazes,?ÿthe size of the trees and the calls in the deeds. Yes, I said deeds, as a corner is never for a single property. If it is a typical corner you have 3 more lines to run. Are the blazes, singles, doubles or triples? Is the '74 survey of an original tract, or a subdivided parcel? What marks other corners? It is easy in PA to have to survey 4 times the area of your parcel to even get close? Was the whole tract farmed, how much was cleared for crops? Is the barb wire on posts or trees?
Paul in PA
I'd cut into those blazes and count the rings.?ÿ If you can count 44 rings that would be good evidence they were put there by the 1974 surveyor.?ÿ?ÿ
In my experience, blazes are a great way to tell you that you are close, but I have not found them accurate enough to hold.
?ÿ
My 2 cents ...
Scars looking very much like blaze marks may be formed on trees from natural causes, while it must be remembered that a small boy with a hatchet can mark up more trees in one Saturday afternoon than a dozen surveyors can in a year.
Mulford, Alfred Cornell. Boundaries and Landmarks. Nostrand Company, 1912.
