Rant On:
Did a survey of a 1945 platted sub yesterday 15 Good size lots 100' x 400' deep.
I was amazed to find a a couple of actual pin's called out on the plat.
I find a couple of my clients pins by using the plated corners i found.
The pins I found were under a chain link fence.
I flagged them up and headed back in. Too much calculating needed to be done to do it in the van.
1 hour later: Ring, Ring: It's the Neighbor,
She tells me that's not where her corner is. She had a surveyor out who
told her it was hard to find things with all the metal around. But didn't
actually do a survey like I did. And then proceeds to tell me I didn't find the pins I did, that I put them there. Hmm... Ok I dug down 3/4 of a foot and put a pin in and made it look 50 years old. She says she is going to take me to court. I told her she should pay a surveyor who I'm sure will agree with me. That's how I approach things, Make sure the neighbor has what is called out!
I'm going back monday to set the final pins. I sure hope she isn't home.
She's not gonna like what I have to set either.
ARGH!!!!!!
Rant Off
I'm going Swimming!!
Don't forget your snorkel. At least they don't have batteries you need to re-charge, or neighbors dogs who won't shut up.
Breath in.... breath out.... breath in.... breath out....
Enjoy your float trip. I'll be doing the River Regatta again in Bullhead City, AZ/Laughlin, NV. My fifth float and always fun
99.94% of the people who threaten to take you to court don't do it, so I wouldn't sweat that. I rank the chances that those pipes you found under the fence will be gone by Monday a little better than that.
WE HAD THE SAME THING HAPPEN!!!
We were doing a topo of a couple lots and tied to some pins across the street from our job, later that day my boss calls and asks why we were digging holes in xxx's yards and setting pins in them? (he of course, knew the deal) She still thinks that we set them even though they were 0.60' beneath the surface, had old flagging and 10 years of rust.o.O
Good times.
just out of interest (being from a different bit of the globe), how can she 'take you to court' if she hasn't any evidence to the contrary?
Wouldn't she be told (by any self respecting solicitor) to get some suitably qualified expert (as its termed here) to check my work and then report back?
In such cases would both surveyors talk with each other about what went on?
I had a clients neighbour ring me one day to say my defenition of a boundary was wrong and he would get another surveyor which he did.
That surveyor rang me and asked what was going on and I explained my survey, offered a copy of my notes, and the issues of the common boundary and he advised his client he was wasting his time.
It's not a case of peeing in each others pockets but surveyors here look after the cadaster and not the owner. We tell them where their boundary is and 99.999999% of the time the public are 100% accepting even if at odd times they don't like the outcome.
Its still not nice when someone suggests they know better and you know they are coming from an unqualified direction.
> just out of interest (being from a different bit of the globe), how can she 'take you to court' if she hasn't any evidence to the contrary?
It's just a common empty threat here in the States to try to get to you change things to the way they want them. Like someone else said, about 99.94% of the people that threaten court actions don't actually initiate them.
The typical response is well he hired you, of course you'll be in his favor. It's funny when after the fact we are in their favor sometimes. I always tell them we work in the public interest, not altering data because of who pays us. I'm guessing those accusing us of fraud, probably aren't very honest folks anyway. As the saying goes those accusing, typically are committing the act.
> The typical response is well he hired you, of course you'll be in his favor. It's funny when after the fact we are in their favor sometimes. I always tell them we work in the public interest, not altering data because of who pays us. I'm guessing those accusing us of fraud, probably aren't very honest folks anyway. As the saying goes those accusing, typically are committing the act.
I'll sort of agree with you, but a whole lot I'll find that people just don't know what we do, or how we do it, and that scares them, so they threaten "LAWSUIT".
I agree. They typically think of us as the guy standing in the road behind a transit.
You mean behind the camera?
I was thinking about this after my post and you blokes have summed up my thoughts.
'The person behind the transit, or camera or thing' and so the public divorced from knowledge of what these odd bods do, see a peg and some flagging and don't necessarily see us as 'experts in our field' but as an intrusion into 'their space'
And as Carl says scares them and then run to someone to sort it out.
And of course you know how wrong you are when they tell you quite emphatically 'That fence is right on the boundary. Uncle Fred told me that 40 years ago'.:-P
It's a problem when most of the public really has no idea what surveying is.
They know what their Doctor, Nurse, Accountant, Attorney and Dentist does, at least vaguely but Surveying is a mystery.
I think it's related to most people getting further from the land in their lives and we haven't stepped up efforts to inform them of what we do. We have sort of taken it for granted that the public would just believe us when we say, "here is the boundary." They really have no basis to believe us.
The Attorneys and Judges have mostly gotten away from Real Property cases too. They are doing all sorts of other things such as family law, corporate business law and criminal law.
Some members of the public have some clue, however, those ones we have a chance with.
