I kept getting phone calls and emails from a land owner that owned a Lot in a disorganized "subdivision" surrounded by federal lands.?ÿ
It was clear from the poor drawings and descriptions that the survey would be a problem, if there even was a solution.?ÿ
These calls and emails slowly faded away until he called back last week. He began chatting again about how to do the survey and what it might entail and I told him we were booked until fall and then it would be too late since snow would be falling and if he wanted it this year I gave him a couple of local low baller names.?ÿ
Felt good.?ÿ
There was a time when puzzles like that were very interesting to me,,,,,,,,,not anymore.?ÿ
I finally became smart enough last year to tell a client that I simply could not come up with a definite, defendable boundary based on a variety of factors.?ÿ The fuzzy areas included a rock bluff, impenetrable undergrowth filled with poison you-name-it and a portion of a paved lane.
Boy, I've got a few like that. I tend to call them dreamers, but they keep turning up like bad pennies. Usually, the property is landlocked, records are non-existent, neighbors are hostile and armed, etc. Sometimes they get hoodwinked into buying a lot in a subdivision that was platted decades ago but no monuments were ever set (you would think a huge tract in the middle of the desert would be a red flag to some, but apparently not). These guys call, and call again, and keep calling and never realize that my fee, multiplied by 10 still isn't going to cover what it would take for me to do the work and they would never pay it anyway. So why don't I return calls? Probably because I couldn't possibly care less about the stupid Google review you leave and I have actual jobs coming in that I can't get to, why on earth would I get involved with yours?
I dunno, at this point all I can do is yell something to the effect of stay off my lawn. I know it's a business, but no, I don't want your business. How do I stay in business?? By avoiding bad clients...
I get the concept of dodging bad clients and impossible expectations but my curiosity is aroused as to how often you guys encounter 'mission impossible' surveys that clearly will not lead to a happy outcome for anyone. I've only run into a couple of these I had to decline after doing the research, asking a few questions and realizing there was a slim to no chance that I'd be able to make sense out of the project or meet some client's completely unrealistic expectation of me. First sign I'm dealing with one of these and I'm quickly searching for the nearest exit sign. Don't get me wrong. I love a good challenge, just not getting my a$$ handed to me.
Just because I'm paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't out to get me.
I've written about a few here.
It's more often the potential client and not necessarily the actual site or survey that makes me want to run away
@jph The two usually go hand in hand.?ÿ
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Just because I'm paranoid, doesn't mean they aren't out to get me.
I??ve always said I could survey any property. ?ÿThe question is for how much? ?ÿWhen I start tossing out dollar amounts for those really difficult surveys that usually scares them off.
In my case from last year it was primarily a case of extremely vague descriptions in several directions from ground zero.?ÿ One critical spot of control was said to be where the centerline of a certain street intersected the section line.?ÿ First, there is no record establishing the width of said street.?ÿ Second,?ÿ they probably meant where that street centerline intersected the centerline of the highway, and then veered off to the southeast at an odd angle.?ÿ The section line is about 250 feet south of the highway centerline.?ÿ Exactly where the section line happens to be appears to have been avoided on about a half dozen surveys purporting to be tied to it, but with very different results.?ÿ A paved road sort of runs willynilly rather than conforming to any of three possible locations.
@david-livingstone?ÿ A reasonable way to handle the situation. Get a handle on on the magnitude of the project, make a preliminary worst case estimate and if you're overwhelmed with work tell them realistically you can commence in three months.?ÿ If you get a bad smell from the client plug your nose and make it clear the contractual basis of the project will be ironclad (huge retainer, progress payments, the effect of scope changes delineated, etc.).?ÿ And be honest, if their wishes are dreams, say so?ÿ and offer alternative solutions to their problem like other surveyor referrals, arbitration, litigation or even lying in repose 'till everybody dies.?ÿ If they're just shoppers, they'll consider you a dry hole and move on.
I'm surprised some (mostly small shop?) surveyors claim to be professionals yet cherry pick projects, blow off doing difficult surveys, or refuse because they don't trust the prospective client.?ÿ Imagine if you went to the doctor with an ailment and he/she refused to treat you because your case would be too difficult, doesn't trust you or they are too busy.?ÿ Kinda unprofessional, don't ya think??ÿ
I'm being tongue in cheek of course but I'll answer every ring-ring inquiry as best I can and not consider a client is less than honest until shown otherwise when they balk at my ironclad highball estimate, or I hear word of mouth about the client concerning bankruptcies. a lot of mechanic's liens against them or other unsavory habits.
@holy-cow Many moons ago I had a client call to have me survey his property, he was insisting that his neighbor was encroaching by about 5' and told me that he was sure of it because the blocks that were in from the previous owner he bought from were still in.?ÿ I priced is and got a signed contract, pulled the filed subdivision plat from the County, found original subdivision corners from 60 years ago and did the survey.?ÿ The "blocks" he was referring to were 4 cinder blocks, probably planted by the last owner, that did not work even remotely with the original or any other monumentation in the area.?ÿ He kept wanting me to check this and that on a T & M basis and my agreement called for him to write a check on the spot for each invoice I hand delivered.?ÿ He refused to accept my findings and kept giving me older and older documents to pour through.?ÿ Needless to say, when he was about $5K in on a survey that should have cost him $700, I pulled the plug because nothing changed.?ÿ The next thing I knew, I found myself reported to the BBB, County Weights and Measures (why them? I have no clue), and, the State Board, all of whom I had to spend considerable time providing the information needed for exoneration.?ÿ Lesson learned, NEVER AGAIN! LOL!
I try to tell landowners that they have a disputed boundary and in Colorado, a surveyor does not resolve disputed boundaries. We show an accurate depiction of both conflicting lines, and resolving it is entirely up to the landowners. Out of dozens of disputed boundaries I've advised on, only ONE was resolved by two neighbors after the first attempt. This took about 1 hour of my time, maybe one hour of lawyer time. RESOLVED. all the other cases languished for years, with numerous repeat calls.
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