Ring-Ring

I remember well the horribly vile man who lived up the hill from the site I surveyed. He had access through an easement on my client's property, which is where he built an asphalt driveway. I had to dig a small hole in the driveway to expose the iron rebar, obviously, and put a minor circle of pink paint around it so the client could find it. I emphasize this was on my client's property. The guy up the hill came unglued, yelling and ranting, because of that eyesore in his driveway. He actually followed me around yelling insults, one after the other.

I reasonably assumed he was a nut case and/or unbalanced so I ignored him and went about my business. I've also assumed he will probably die from a stroke or heart attack because that kind of rage is deadly, especially over a piddly hole in the pavement. Not good to let little things bother you like that.

I gotta wonder how long the driveway was there and whether you really set "the corner." Did you consider offsets instead?
Just today I ran into a similar situation but this was regarding a stockade fence. I set offsets to the corner and suggested to my client that he discuss it with the neighbor before i went and set the corner. Luckily the fence is only a few years old and the neighbors seem to have a decent relationship, so far.

Dtp

Those kind of folks can be entertaining, but yes the can also be annoying.

I once was working in a nice subdivision where all the yards were perfect. I obviously had to dig holes to find the corners, but kept them neat & tidy and put the "plugs" back with care.

One lady, who happened to be the people selling their house (I was working for the buyer), came out screaming about the hole. She asked why the hole had to be so big (perhaps 6" dia x 8" deep).

I just politely replied "... well, it is kind of difficult to dig a hole smaller than my shovel... and see, there is your corner right in the middle of it. Pretty good aim, don't you think. And besides, aren't you moving?"

She gave me her best doe in the headlights look, kind of shrugged, and walked off.

great story.

we were working on one this week in downtown atlanta. neighbor is a government funded daycare center. they thought our pk control nails were on their property so the broke them out of the concrete. that take some work. when we set the corner, all which were pks too we drilled holes and then epoxied the nail in the hole. let them try to get those out! we also hid some control across the street in case we ever need it.

weirdos.

bruce is right - they will not live long (or happy).

> I gotta wonder how long the driveway was there and whether you really set "the corner." Did you consider offsets instead?

Here's the problem with setting offsets, particularly in non recording states. A landowner or fence contractor finds the offset, assumes it is the corner, and builds something from it. They shouldn't do that without measuring to another corner, but the world is full of people who don't know what they are doing. I have been accused of that sometimes!

Nails in driveways usually are no big deal. I have even driven rebars in asphalt driveways and roads.

These were just tall stakes marked "6' offset to property corner". With stakes along the property line.

Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.

That reminds me many years ago me and rodman were out doing a two day survey. The first day the rodman had talked to the lady next door and she was really nice. He went in her backyard to locate a rebar, no problem, help yourself, etc.

Next day I went to her front property corner to find and locate it (common with the client). She came flying out of her house absolutely unglued. Weird.

My boss happened to be out there and he got into it with her (made the obvious suggestion of what her problem might be to her face). That was a tense 15 minutes with her yelling at me and my boss yelling at her.

That wasn't the first time he did that.

Then one day he and I were working on a job and he started in with the neighbor and I stopped him in his tracks, I yelled, "John, get off of the man's property and don't start anything!" I never do that and it shocked him into silence. Pretty funny thinking back on it now.

We have a surveyor in our chapter. He finds a pipe and
puts a lath by it. The neighbor steps on the pipe. Some
kind of injury results. The surveyor gets sued for
megabucks.

Foggy:

The PK nail in question was set in a back alley on a 10' long driveway. I do consider offsets when damage or defacing will be done to something substantial, but this was not the case.

This is humanity. It transcends nationality. It is even worse in the Philippines.

> Her (in a high-pitched nagging voice): Are you the surveyor who set a point in my concrete driveway?
>
> Me (in patient tone): Yes, I am. Your driveway is over the line and I set what's called a P.K. nail. And your driveway is not concrete, it is asphalt.
>
> Her: I talked to the neighbor, and she said that over the years your nail is going to make cracks and a hole in my driveway that will get bigger and bigger! Couldn't you have just painted the corner or something?
>
> Me: I've NEVER seen that happen with P.K. nails. The nail is about an inch long and are made specifically for that type of use.
>
> Her: Well, %%*$&#^ &$*%((..................
>
> Me (in "no more patience" tone): Do you realize you are yelling at ME for setting a 1" nail at the property corner, and that the REAL problem is that your driveway is over the line?
>
> Her (in more mellow, pleasant tone): Well, I can't help where the previous owner placed the driveway. Have a nice weekend.
>
> (Note: I did not paint the corner so the "damage" would be minimized. Go figure.)