Hi guys
Please forgive me for being anonymous but I am in a tough situation and hoping you guys can help me with some advice. I am working for a long time friend helping him out on a project doing some office comps for a lot survey. He hired a couple other people for the field stuff and cad work.
My problem is that he gave me the field info as coords with not field notes. I asked for the notes a bunch of times and he gives me the run around and puts pressure on me to finish the comps. I finished the comps the best I could and gave them to the cad guy but I felt like something is still fishy. I even wrote some legals for him. So anyway I visited the site and found some mons that I asked them to tie and even gave them search coords. Now I don't know what to do and i feel like its not ethical for me to keep working on this project when he won't give me the data I need.
oh, also I have a license too but I let it lapse because I got layed off a while back and couldn't afford to get my education credits or pay for renewal. But I still feel like I could be held responsible for the work done so far.
What should I do? I want to tell my friend to go fly a kite but he has paid me a little over half of what I have billed for so far and I think he will pay the rest soon and I really need the money. Thank you nice site
Run.
Run............you will be left holding the bag if you don't.
Why does he need these comps anyway; he can't do them or someone to blame for them?
what about the money he owes me? I could get the CEU I need to renew my license. Plus he's my friend and I feel bad
Be prepared to take the blame for setting corners erroneously.
And of course it is easy to comment from where we are and not where you are; but this will come back to bite you.
Sounds like he is not being your friend.
Your license, you are in control or no deal.
He is stamping and signing the survey. I can't because my license is lapsed.
Somewhere, somehow, when you bill, send your work or similar, put in writing what your work is based on and what you are responsible for. You really should be working for an hourly wage as an employee not as a contractor, since your license is not current.
Get your gun out, go locate the monuments you found but were not located by the field crew. Or, send him back out to get the bounds and do the field work necessary to complete the project.
Why the heck are you pussyfooting around?
If, as you say, you are just “doing some office comps for a lot survey”, what do you care what he does with the data?
“He hired a couple other people for the field stuff and cad work.” So, is he even involved in the project? What ever happened to “responsible charge”?
“I even wrote some legals for him”. Based upon WHAT? Some coordinates in a file??????
“I have a license too but I let it lapse…” So? This just means you have no legal responsibility for the final product. You are not functioning in any sense as a professional here…..you are paid technical help, nothing more. Your “friend” is taking someone else’s field work, someone else’s calculations and someone else’s CAD drafting, and putting his seal and signature on it.
Now, why don’t you quit pulling our leg and go play somewhere else….this situation is too ludicrous to be real. If it IS real, you are a fool for getting involved in the first place. (Aside from being a fool for letting your own license lapse…).
I don't see how this could come back to bit you. It's his job, he is stamping it, he is taking responsibility, and he is having you do some calculations. Do what he asks, warn him if you think he is doing something stupid (in writing if you have to) and collect your paycheck.
I would want an employee of mine to tell me if they think I am doing something wrong, and I would want them to finally do what I ask after listening to their opinions.
Maybe I am missing something, but that is my opinion from your post.
I agree with Evelyn's thoughts here. If you're indeed subcontracting then how you word your statement will mean a lot as to how much liability you'll be carrying. If you were working, say, as a part time hourly employee then I can't see how you'd be carrying any liability. While 'coming up' I worked for a couple RLSs who directed me to do some things that I wouldn't have agreed with if I were responsible for the outcome. But, I was only an employee and in the end didn't sweat it. I just used those rare occasions as learning experiences. Of course, I guess I'm comparing apples to oranges here in your case.
(btw, I've never heard of anyone letting their license lapse for lack of CEU funds.
Strange economy, indeed)
Take care and good luck.
Ed
When his azz gets hauled into court, who do you think will be his first witness to blame for the factual errors.
In many jurisdictions you could be found guilty of Aiding and Abetting an illegal act/acts by Not Reporting what you know.
You may already have that obligation, I hope not...
Unfortunately I have gad the displeasure of needing to step aside from a couple situations like this that just did not quite feel right and answers to questions were way too vague. I was able to walk away prior to gaining actual knowledge that could require me to report.
Now go out and do the right thing... Dr. Laura
Yes, it does sound sort of fishy to me also.
Maybe if he posted a video of himself, with his "friend" talking just out of the video, more of us might believe him.
After all, it is a video and it is on the internet.
😉
You seem awfully concerned about a "friend" who has put you (with your assent)in a terrible situation. My friends don't do that to me. I don't do my friends like that.
Get away from this jackleg.
JB
has the best post!
(btw, I've never heard of anyone letting their license lapse for lack of CEU funds.
Strange economy, indeed)
i have. 🙁 <----
well I don't have a contract with him to do field work. The deal is he would handle the field and cad stuff and I would do the comps. thx to eveyone for your help, I think i'm going to tell him to stuff it.
Well angelo I am sorry that it was more important to feed my family than to renew my license. You have no idea what i have been thru