"Yes, Mister Homeowner sir, I see that concrete monument over there."
"No, that is not the 1/16th corner"
"Yes, sir it is exactly 1320 feet from the SE section corner. That is how I knew something was wrong as soon as I measured to it."
"Yes sir, a 1/4 mile is 1320 feet, but a 1/4 of a section line is not. Nor is half of the section line 2640. In this case here the half section line distance is 2704"
I went on to explain that he still has the same size parcel. The West 200 of South 300 of SE1/4 of SE1/4. Felt kinda bad for the guy though. He had been measuring from that concrete monument and built a new pole barn over his East line. He walked away shaking his head, not sure he believed me about the 1/4 not being 1320. I guess to a laymen that does sound odd.
Scott McLain, wore a black hat today.
What ?!?!
You mean a quarter mile isn't 1320'? What have all my teachers been telling me for the last 60+ years? Heck, even my father said so!
And you mean a concrete monument isn't the corner? On this board there are people that say hold the monument come he11 or high waters. What's a guy to believe?
My world is shattered!
You'd think a town named Traverse City would be surveyed better than that!!! 😀
Look at the original notes....20 chains. 20 X 66 = 1,320
It's hard to explain because it is obscure.
More confusing is the remaining portion on the last part of a closing section. Even many licensed land surveyors can't get this right!
The most fun is dealing with closing corners at the NW corner of a township and Section 6.
B-)
The original measurements are the true measurements, and we are supposed to adjust our "chain" to the original aren't we?
Anyway, to the layman, yes 1320 is 1/4 mile, and the sections are perfect 1 mile squares.
Assuming the SE sec. cor and the S1/4 are in their original locations, my next questions are where did the concrete monument at 1320 come from and why?
That is a good question. There is some reliance here somewhere.
> Assuming the SE sec. cor and the S1/4 are in their original locations, my next questions are where did the concrete monument at 1320 come from and why?
[sarcasm]You should stop asking those kinds of questions... only gonna slow a feller down, you know.[/sarcasm]
> You'd think a town named Traverse City would be surveyed better than that!!! 😀
Dang Andy! Now that was funny!!!:-D
So by not holding the monument, his entire parcel moved 32 feet to the west (if I am reading it right). Where that monument came from could be important. If the owner of the parent tract (who owned on both sides of the 1/16 corner) had it monumented that way and subsequently sold it off, wouldn't that monument hold as the monumented 1/16 corner? Also, I would take into consideration if the adjacent parcels accept the corner by occupation (like fencing).
Maybe there is a big ol' "R/W" somewhere on the monument- 😀
> "Yes, Mister Homeowner sir, I see that concrete monument over there."
> "No, that is not the 1/16th corner"
So if this surveyor who placed this 1320 monument was the first to mark the 1/16 corner, and the landowner the first to set his improvements in reliance on it, would these not be "original surveys" which establish the lines in spite of whatever is written in the deeds?;-)
> So if this surveyor who placed this 1320 monument was the first to mark the 1/16 corner, and the landowner the first to set his improvements in reliance on it, would these not be "original surveys" which establish the lines in spite of whatever is written in the deeds?;-)
That's what I was thinking too... but I figure we aren't hearing the whole story, just the juicy bits.
>
> > So if this surveyor who placed this 1320 monument was the first to mark the 1/16 corner, and the landowner the first to set his improvements in reliance on it, would these not be "original surveys" which establish the lines in spite of whatever is written in the deeds?;-)
>
>
>
> That's what I was thinking too... but I figure we aren't hearing the whole story, just the juicy bits.
Not to worry, I did my homework.
There is an old fence and other occupation going south at the 1/16 line I set and an even older fence going North (the side the guy I was talking to is on). The land owner never knew the North fence was even there until I showed him. You had to go a few hundred feet off the road to find it.
As for that monument and how it got there. My guess is the guy on the other side of the line. He worked for a local surveyor for a few summers many years ago, but knows nothing about surveying. Word is he word be dumb enough. Unless someone shows me a Certificate of Survey with a PS signature and seal calling it a 1/16 corner, it is junk in my book.
> More confusing is the remaining portion on the last part of a closing section. Even many licensed land surveyors can't get this right!
Equally confusing is dealing with all the lakes around here that do not have Meander Corners. I have found many original GLO corners, but never one at the Meander. Lake Michigan shoreline has changed so much and this is the most valuable land around this area. Keeps this job interesting.
> Maybe there is a big ol' "R/W" somewhere on the monument- 😀
My last house was along a state highway, and there was a big ol' concrete monument 2' out of the ground with a brass disk on the top. The neighbor's fence ran right to that monument. (it would be giving me a couple of extra feet if I cared)
You are cracking me up now. 🙂
I could kind of be with Dave on this one since more info was not provided.
The land owner should get a couple of surveyors that will say the concrete monument is the 1/16 corner and that the fence lining up with the concrete monument is the property line. After all, it shows occupation.
Is there a monument record on that 1/16th corner? It would make it hard to ignore if there was and it could be proven that others had used it. Just cause it ain't half way don't make it wrong.
Just sayin.
> >
> Unless someone shows me a Certificate of Survey with a PS signature and seal calling it a 1/16 corner, it is junk in my book. >
Reading that comment made me think about non-recording states and how they must view un-documented monuments (especially older monuments).
There probably is an equal chance that rather than "junk", it is evidence of something you are not aware of that may or may not pertain to your survey?