does this thought just fly in your face or am I just too old fashioned?
Been working part time for a non registered business owner that has had registered surveyors in the past and seems they did decent enough jobs on their survey work.
Now, comes along a client that has a ALTA/ACSM Survey of a large tract that is two years old. The surveyor that signed the work is now gone and working at Brand 'X'. The business owners client wants a "Updated" survey and the owner is asking me to say 'Yes' to an 'update'.
There is little problem with me doing the 'update' but how do you tell the business owner that this request is just not "right" or "ethical"?
Or probably not legal if you didn't actually sign the work, the fact that you "worked" on the job doesn't make it your work.
The previous surveyor was working for the same company you are, using their tools and the company billing out the work would make the data shown on that old survey, company property. Don't upgrade the old but use it's data after making field checks for its accuracy and any changes that may have taken place. Then make a new drawing, should state that the new work was based on the old after making appropriate field checks. Don't think you can upgrade someone else's product but I see nothing wrong with using that data, giving credit where credit is due. It was your company that did the work, the surveyor worked for them, not directly for a client, just like you are probably doing.
jud
I agree with Jud. You'll have to redo enough work that you are comfortable signing it, but job files belong to the company, not the company's former employee.
I've worked with enough different companies and crews to find out that some crews and crew members were under my control and some were just not going to follow anyone's instructions.
Because of this I have had to separate different information into categories, basically mine and theirs.
If the work is good enough, it doesn't matter who did it, I will take it for fact and make it mine and certify to it. After all, I have not set all the monuments that I have called as being correct. Mostly, you know what to expect when you pull that folder from the cabinet where to start.
When I see an obvious problem, I won't attach my name to it until the problems have been cleared.
With the license comes an oath of responsibility that you cannot hide from.
The company you work for has to protect you in the same manner as you would protect yourself and the company, if not, you need a new employer.
Been there, done that, got the scars and have moved on.
I personally know surveyors that now wish they had not accepted the responsibility of others. Some were sanctioned and others are now without a license.
Agree With Jud. Call it an update if you want, but it is still going to require you to verify everything in title, improvements on the ground, and the boundary. Your cost should account for this.
many states will allow you to update another licensed persons workproduct by simply adding a line altered by: xxx on xx/xx/xx with a list of revisions. I believe though that you are then responsible for the entire work product. I would not suggest this practice myself but there are places that allow it.
> many states will allow you to update another licensed persons workproduct by simply adding a line altered by: xxx on xx/xx/xx with a list of revisions. I believe though that you are then responsible for the entire work product. I would not suggest this practice myself but there are places that allow it.
That sounds like more of an engineering practice. Once we stamp it, we own it.
I don't have a problem with if you check other work, find that you agree with it, etc. But what happens if the guy did sloppy work, and your checks don't match? What if your building ties put the building in a different location? What if you don't agree with where some corners were set? I mean, if I do my own work of a resurvey of someone else's, I do my own job, and show what I did, but now if it's an "update" it would make your company look bad if you revised some of the data based on your measurements. Or if you would have accepted a property corner that the other survey rejected and set his own.
You can't update someone else's survey. You can review it by making your own ties to the buildings from the boundary and closely checking to see what alterations have been made to the site. Then you can produce a new survey with your seal. Also, the previous survey was done with standards that are outdated.
Without a full time LS on staff, how does this person legally operate a surveying company? I think most states will not give them a Certificate of Authorization.
"Been working part time for a non registered business owner"There's your problem right there. Tell the boss "you stamp it"
how do you tell the business owner that this request is just not "right" or "ethical"?
You say "this request is just not "right" or "ethical"?"