I've been working on a survey for some time now. It's a tract of undeveloped property that momma left in her probate to be divided equally 'mongst the chillins. The chillins are in their sixties and seventies. It's one of those "family" deals where everybody is convinced the other is going to cheat them out of something.
After a month I finally got them to agree how to divide the property equally. I emailed a preliminary to the one son that lives locally. As happens often, the deeded dimensions and my recent survey dimensions don't match exactly. I got a call from the fella and he was questioning some dimensions. Particularly one call on the old deed of "471 7/8 feet". There were found pins at each end of this line, but it only measured 471.34' between them.
"Is that what 471 and 7/8 feet converts to?" he asked.
"No sir. 471 and 7/8 feet converts to 471.88', or there abouts." I told him. I went on to explain why we report actual measured distances and they are rarely exactly what the deed says. I also told him that the half a foot or so wasn't surprising, I have seen some with several feet of discrepancy. After a few minutes it was apparent to me that he was of the opinion that if he made a good enough argument I would somehow pull some footage out of my butt and make his property exactly like the old deed.
"I wanna know where that half a foot of my property went to." he boldly stated.
"You caught me" I told him, "I've been collecting property by shaving a few inches off every survey I do. When I retire I figure I'm going to have a nice big spread somewhere."
(cricket...cricket) Silence on the other end. Finally he asks, "You think this is funny?" He's audibly irritated. I told him it would be funny if it weren't so sad; I didn't make his property short, I didn't write the deed. I merely measured it. Getting hot at me for doing my job wasn't going to change a thing. After a little bit he seemed to cool down.
His final words, "Well, if you're sure that's what it is, I guess it'll have to do."
Trust me buddy, I'm pretty sure....:pinch:
Some people just don't have a sense of humor.
You've got too much time and resources in the project to fire them, but it sure would be fun!
I admire anyone who can add some humor into our otherwise dull profession.
On occasion I have taken my old farm truck to get to some rough areas on a few surveys. This is a 3/4 ton flat bed with a hydraulic bale spear attached. (For the non-farmers, a bale spear is the world's handiest device for stabbing a big hay bale, raising it up and driving to where it needs to go.)
I've had a couple of clients ask about why I haven't removed the bale spear. My standard answer is that it really helps cut down on feed costs later if I bring a bale home with me at the end of every day from 'somewhere'. They give me that look that says, "Whatttttt? Are you kidding me?" To which I always reply something like, " Nah. I'm just too lazy to take it off and put it back on again." That, they can understand.
I really and actually found 330' x several miles, of extra land. One surveyor actually measured from the south, and set the Township line 330' SOUTH of where it actually was.
I could not seem to talk them into "giving" it to me! ha ha
N
That is a beautiful story. Thank you for showing me a way to say the things to those type of people that maybe someday I will have the balls to say too.
Grasshopper out.
Thanks. That is hysterical. Some folks just have no sense of humor.
Some days having a sense of humor is just about the only thing that makes this job bearable.
Today's Update
I was pretty sure when I hung up yesterday I hadn't heard the last of it. He called me back this morning...He's ok with the survey..but...he wants the parcel designation changed.
There's four kids. I arbitrarily labeled the parcels A, B, C & D. A was closest to the quarter corner, and so on. His tract was labeled D. He wants to change them to read the other direction...so his parcel will bear the designation "A"....(wtf ever!) :pinch:
Next time we talk, I'm going to suggest he get more bran in his diet..
Today's Update
I would figure out some alternative that's not so ordered and hard to argue with--their initials, birth years, etc. 😉
Today's Update
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> Next time we talk, I'm going to suggest he get more bran in his diet..
I dare ya.
Today's Update
Do I hear a "double dog dare"?
I've noticed most of the times it's the spouses that get the siblings all riled up. I had a project where we'd all walk away happy and then one brother or sister would call up and you'd hear their spouse in the back round telling them what to say and it would be completey different from what they'd just agreed to when it was just the family at the meeting. It was funny, one brother would call then 15 minutes later the sister would call. Never got a call from the un-married brother, he just wanted to get it settled, he was keeping his piece. The other two lived out of town and were trying to get the most "marketable" piece they could and were always coming up with a new way to split it. They drug it out till the market crashed. Still haven't sold either piece.
