Recording States and cost to file

Oregon is a recording state. Counties can charge as they see fit. Columbia County (where I record most) charges $250. Multnomah County-$400.

> ... Only 1 county I'm aware of gets the value to the public these filings provide, and charges nothing.
Having worked in a Torrens juridiction (British Columbia), in recording states (Oregon & Washington), and in a non-recording state (Oklahoma), I dispute your assertion that recorded surveys have no value to the public.

>... Most justify the fees as needed for agency review, which can vary in degree from being good oversight and peer review, to overbearing personal preference, to just plain incompetence.
I have felt your pain, brother. But if you hear the reviewers side of the story, some surveyors just can't put a map together.

BTW, in Torrens, the Registrar of Surveys doesn't just review your map, he reviews your survey.

> My question is if any other states that mandate filing of retracement surveys, allow for state or local jurisidiction fees of any significant magnitude?
Oregon County Surveyors are free to set their own recording fees. Portland area counties are in the $400 range. At least one county in the SE part of the state charges nothing. There is also no licensed surveyor resident in that county, so there is no one qualified to hold the office of County Surveyor. If you file something the clerk will stamp it and put it in the drawer. One of these days they will get a County Surveyor, and that guy will have 10 or 12 Records of Survey backlogged for review.

thanks Dave,

Am curious if Oregon surveyors find the fees are justified?

> Having worked in a Torrens juridiction (British Columbia), in recording states (Oregon & Washington), and in a non-recording state (Oklahoma), I dispute your assertion that recorded surveys have no value to the public.
>

Norman, I came across wrong. What I mean is filings have great value to the public, but only one county sees that great value, and by charging nothing, that county encourages filings, instead of placing a financial hurdle.

Thanks for your input.

ranges from 0$ to I'm not sure anymore because they just changed fees but some simple ones look like they may get up $1000 or so.

But, most filed surveys are not reviewed and CR cost $5 Wyo and $0 Mont.

ROS and COS varies.

last COS (Mont) was $130 but it was six sheets.

last ROS (Wyo) was $50

No review for the ROS

for Montana- here is the filing fee Statute

The fees were just increased last session in hopes of getting revenue to allow more counties to put their records on line.

example- now A 1 page COS with 2 tracts would cost $26 to file.

there is no fee to file a Certified Corner Rec, of Record of Survey (corner rec for non-PLSS corner)

examination fees are another matter.

the fee by statute, islimited t0 $200 for any survey that creates a tract of land. with no fee authorized for review of re-tracements- however, many counties charge for examining Land Surveyor review of retracement surveys-

By the BPC 8766.5 code it should not be anymore than $100. But it can be modified if it can be shown that the cost of the review is higher. Which I believe many counties have upped the cost to the $200-$400 from what I've heard. :-/

NEBRASKA

$5.00 if the survey references section corners.
($5.00 total, no limit on number of pages)

$2.50 if survey doesn't reference section corners (Lot Surveys).

This is a bargain, yet some surveyors don't file to save money even though it is a State Statute.

I think that the filing requirment is a good thing... it raises the bar for surveys in that it requires surveyors to explain the who, what, when, where and why. As for the fees, I don't particularly like them but I do understand the value in what they provide. It costs money to maintain an office and personel, beyond the manpower necessary to review and file the surveys.

Fees in Oregon vary from about $100 (maybe less) to $400 and depend to a large extent on what services the County Surveyor provides and how the office is funded - general fund or survey filings. Metropolitan and the more populated areas tend to have the higher fees.

Counties not having on-line access to surveys are generally less expensive too.

NM, I'm too cranky today. :-@

man, here in rural poor country, clients grumble about paying $400 for a survey.
they would have a cow if they had to pay that much to get it recorded....

Wow, $400 to file a survey! Also, why do they need someone to review it? The surveyor that did the survey reviewed it. All they need to do is record it. How much does it cost to scan and upload it to their image server?

> Wow, $400 to file a survey! Also, why do they need someone to review it? The surveyor that did the survey reviewed it. All they need to do is record it. How much does it cost to scan and upload it to their image server?

actually- you'd be amazed at the difference in quality of surveys recorded in counties that have reviewers and those that don't. especially solo shops where there isn't a 2nd set of eyes in house to look it over.....

there was one recently in a county to the south where they called out a bunch of line and curve data but then had the call tables turned off when they made the record set. but it's permanently filed....

that's the crap that the review is supposed to weed out.

$5/page for surveys

$11/page for subdivisions

$10/corner record

As for required "reviews", how many other professions have mandatory reviewing of their final work product?

Why do we tolerate sub-standard performance by some "surveyors", and try to cover it up with mandatory reviews? Isn't there a better and more professional way to handle things?

[sarcasm]Yes all professions operate under an identical set of circumstances.[/sarcasm]

I appreciate a good County Surveyor review of my work.

Similar thoughts to Brian's are what prompted this thread.

I also appreciate a good review of my work.

I'm trying to get my head around this. So, there's an eight year or so process to "weed out the crap" and get licensed. But, there's still a problem with "crap" surveys. So, you hire a surveyor to review all the surveys to "weed out the crap".

So, is it like a 15-20 year process of education, experience, exams to become a licensed reviewer? How do the states with this process determine which scoop to pick up and put in the reviewer bag?

If the licensee screws up and causes harm they will be liable for it. If the reviewer screws up and does not catch a simple omission such as a line label or table, does this take the liability off of the licensee? If the reviewer requires a change that turns out to be incorrect, does this take the liability off of the licensee? At least in the latter case I think it does. And the reviewer and governmental agency are certainly not going to be liable, so the consumer is left holding the bag.

Even in the so-called non-recording states a surveyor's subdivision goes through review and approvals for all kinds of things before it is finally recorded. I've had to fight against incorrect corrections on more than a couple ocassions. The mundane stuff that doesn't matter, one just goes along with. But the process seems expensive and my time and expertise are not free. Haggling, explaining, negotiating with reviewers is billable time, in addition to their fees charged to the client. I just have to wonder if it adds or detracts from protection of the public, especially for the cost involved.

Many regulations seem reasonable until they start to be applied and gain a life and constituency of their own. Another certification comes along, an industry is born, it becomes more and more difficult for a consumer to do anything unless they're rolling in money.

And then there's the mindset that develops of relying on the reviewer. Hey, it's good and if anythings wrong the reviewer will catch it. Leads to more need of more reviewers and more red tape and less personal responsibility and dedication to providing a complete and professional service.

Just some thoughts on the contrary side; not that I'm necessarily against it. I'll take that reviewers job for a 100k a year to protect the public and help out my fellow surveyors;-)