One for beuckie -
Almost three months ago:?ÿ Ring.Ring...Ring.Ring
Me: Hello (I know its not a very professional way to answer the phone)
Caller:?ÿ Is this Jon Payne the surveyor?
Me: Yes.?ÿ Is there something I can help you with?
Caller:?ÿ You surveyed our property a couple of years ago and we wanted to cut-off an acre and a half in the front.?ÿ We thought it would be easiest [translation - you should do it cheaper than anyone else] to have you do it since you have already surveyed it.
Me:?ÿ Okay.?ÿ What is the address?
Caller:?ÿ [provides address]
Me: [small talk as I pull up the PVA records and my work in the area.?ÿ Then I realize a couple of years ago I had been asked by a realtor to "mark the corners" for this property when it sold, gave a price to verify everything and flag it up again, but was quickly called back and told not to worry about it.?ÿ A few days later I had driven by and it was all flagged up as if someone had surveyed it]
Me:?ÿ Okay.?ÿ It looks like I did that in 2003, so about 19 years ago for a "T. Jones". [look at PVA records and notice about 4 transfers in the ensuing years since my survey]
Caller:?ÿ Yes, we bought it from him. [Okay, I guess very indirectly you did]?ÿ We just bought it about 2 years ago.
Me:?ÿ [noticing on the PVA site two tracts cut-out of the original tract I had surveyed] Do you know who surveyed the two tracts that seem to have been taken out of what I surveyed 19 years ago?
Caller:?ÿ No, I didn't know something was taken out.?ÿ Nobody has surveyed any of it since you did when we bought it a couple of years ago.
Me:?ÿ Well, I didn't survey it a couple of years ago.?ÿ Someone else did something out there at that time, but I haven't been there in 19 years.
Caller:?ÿ Our realtor gave us the survey you did.?ÿ That's how we got your number.
Me:?ÿ Do you have the drawing handy?
Caller:?ÿ Yes
Me:?ÿ Look on the bottom right corner and see if there is a date there.
Caller:?ÿ Yes, it says xx/xx/2003
Me:?ÿ Yeah.?ÿ That was when I surveyed the whole thing for Mr. Jones.?ÿ I would have to do research on the deeds to see what your current deed says, but the PVA map shows two parcels that came out of the property I surveyed.?ÿ If you bought what was left over, there shouldn't be a problem with your acreage, but the county you live in requires a formal minor subdivision process.?ÿ We'll have to submit a plan to the planning commission. [more details to explain the whole process]?ÿ It will cost $X,XXX and will be x months to get to it.
Caller:?ÿ Oh.?ÿ Okay.?ÿ Let me talk to my husband and get back to you.
Me:?ÿ Okay, let me know if you want to proceed.?ÿ At that time, I'll put you in the schedule and give you an updated estimate to complete the work.
?ÿ
The thing that always gets me is the "we had you survey our property a couple of years ago" and how often that turns out to be someone else had you survey the property almost 2 decades ago that they eventually bought very recently.?ÿ Not to even mention continuing to pass along a survey plat that isn't current enough to show tracts taken out since the survey.
I've had the same sort of reasoning and story applied to a survey I did over 30 years ago for Grandpa before he later deeded off parts to some of his grandchildren by aliquot parts.?ÿ The caller is a great-grandchild wanting to put a new house on "a couple of acres" in one corner of one of those aliquot parts.
@michigan-left LOL.?ÿ That one carries two meanings 1) the song title - those folks sure have some big balls to try to pull that conversation off or 2)the album title - dirty deeds (possible double meaning again) done dirt cheap.
I hadn't listened to that in ages!?ÿ Thanks.
Over here i often get calls to restake a monument from a plat a surveyor did that i know is still in business.
When i ask why they call me it is often "he is charging for it, i already paid him like 10 years ago for it!"
I always answer : "And you think i'm a sod who will do it for free?, i charge xxx per monument". Thay always call back the original surveyor.
so common!?ÿ ?ÿUnfortunately, I'm sure I'll be getting lots of calls from people on Sanibel and Ft Myers Beach asking for old copies of their surveys as they try to recover from Hurricane Ian.?ÿ ?ÿ