> I direct them to the County Recorder where they can obtain a copy for $5.00.
Or better yet, depending on what County and State I am working in, I just email them a link to download the survey from the county website. I can usually do this while talking on the phone and is much more efficient than digging the file out of our archives. This very rarely happens around this area since surveys are not required for land transfer. I can probably count on one hand the # of times I have had a request for an old survey from a past client.
I have posted this in the past.
A fellow surveyor provided a copy of an old survey that was used by a new purchaser. After the property closed, it was discovered that new improvements had been added that extended across the lot lines. When it went to court, the surveyor was called upon to testify as to why these new improvements were not on his older survey.
After he was cleared from the lawsuit, one of the attorneys, who was considered to be one of the best in Alabama land disputes and who had worked with the surveyor in previous cases, advised him to NEVER release any copies of surveys, even without seals, signatures, or disclaimers. They won't protect you.
Once the surveys are released to the original client, your obligation has been fulfilled.
:good:
Never understood why surveyors are so eager to give away copies of their valuable work product. Do they not realize the very real possibility all they are doing is helping to eliminate the need for a new survey? Why? Though it should not be needed, hopefully your story might provide some timid surveyor a very succinct reason to not be so willing to participate in denying a future job from some surveyor who needs the work. I would think most of us are in this line of work to make a living for our families.
(ubenhavin?)
Update the opinion to today's standards as:
"The land stays the same, the matters that affect the land change." ©
Derek