So a client wanted me to do static surveys on control monuments and during the process he sends over a plat of a previous survey.
The funny thing about this map is that it was signed and sealed by a civil engineer, and his seal was notarized. I figure that a civil getting his seal notarized makes the idea that an engineer is preforming surveying ok. After all it is a notary. That's got to add some really special importance.
NC used to make surveyors/engineers get their signature notarized on plats but they have since done away with that stupidity.
I'd guess that the requirement for having a notary affirm a professional's signature stems from repeated instances of forgery. We have heard of many instances where a seal and/or signature has been forged.
Here in NYC, one City agency requires the inked seal to be red and the signature to be blue, supposedly to insure that they are "originals" and not copies (like they've never heard of a color copier.....).
Perhaps having (and enforcing) some actual penalties for such forgeries might help.
Under the theory of notary making everything ok, I should be able to sign bridge design plans or electrical design plans as long as I notarize them. If an engineer can sign survey plans then a surveyor can sign engineering plans. Seems only right.
I imagine that in some states the statutes might be "blurred" about who can or cannot put coordinates on a "control point" monument. It is not a boundary determination (necessarily), and there are many other disciplines that might have the knowledge, intelligence, experience, and ability to establish locations on monuments. Do you suppose that many NGS technicians might even have a higher level of knowledge on Geodesy and gps locations than a lot of licensed surveyors?
Of course I don't know the laws regarding this in your state, and whether or not an engineer has the "license" to do such work. I also don't know what kind of "control" they are putting coordinates on (boundary markers?) Just some thoughts.
Tom,Survey control plat-notary
Tom, You should know that you don't put "control" on boundary markers... you put "control" on dimples!!
;o)
JBS
Yeah, it's a bit questionable. The issue here is that the company didn't have a license in that state for surveying. So they didn't want to hire a licensed surveyor to do this work (the client might get introduced to a potential rival) and used an engineering stamp to sign the plat.
It would really take an "liberal" reading of the statutes to allow it. I just found it amusing that he had his seal notarized on the plat. Very strange. It isn't even a filed document, just an internal company project.