On Thursday, two weeks ago, I was hired to do a single lot survey in a nearby town. I've done two prior jobs for this lady over the past five years or so. She indicated she was in a bit of a hurry so I agreed to get it done within 10 days. We actually showed up and did the job on Monday, just four days later. This is a rental house within three blocks of her home and only half a block off her normal drive to work. I called her house on Tuesday evening to let her know it was done and I would get the plat done in a couple of days. I had to leave a message on her answering machine telling her this and asking her to call me on a question that I had. On Sunday everning, after not hearing from her I called again. She explained that she had given up on me and called another surveyor. When both he and she showed up onsite on Saturday they discovered our flags and fresh digging marks. She sent him on his way, embarrassed. Yet, she still didn't call me to answer my question.
I guessed correctly who the other surveyor was. We had a nice chat last evening where I provided him with much information for another survey of his. He told me that she had been trying to contact him all along and that it was finally Thursday evening (after we had already done the survey on Monday) when they had communicated. Meanwhile he wasted quite a bit of time preparing and then meeting her onsite where she felt she owed him nothing.
I told him of one particular case where that type of thing had happened to me about 10 years ago. We showed up onsite three days after the client told us to do it, fully prepared with all the research notes from the courthouse 50 niles from my office, to discover flags everywhere and new bars with caps. When I called the client, more than a little upset, he told me that he had contacted three surveyors on the same day and figured that whoever showed up first would get paid. I sent him an invoice for time invested in his project anyway. You would have thought I was attempting to take his mother to a dog fight and enter her as one of the competitors. He was outraged.
That's why I have written contracts, signed with a deposit before the start of any job.
Jim in NH
Bunch of savages in this town.
Thoughtless Clients ~ Somewhat Similar
A few years ago (1994-95 or so), I was in my office when a builder I had never met, literally come busting into my office, in a panic, “I need you to drop what you’re doing and stake a house for me NOW!”. After I finally got him calmed down, I explained it was already 4pm, my crew was still out of town, I didn’t have a copy of his house plans, no discussion of fee or contract, etc. He stated he needed the house “staked before 8-am tomorrow morning or I was going to cost him a lot of money!”. (I won’t say what I was thinking, lol) I told him to get me the info, & the house corners would be staked by 8am. He later brought the plans, I calc’ed the data (I platted the subd, builder purchased the lot from my Client), and the crew came in early, laid it out, and was done by 7:45am. I called his office, reached his answering machine and told him it was ready. Later while returning from lunch, I drove by the lot…no activity what so ever….. Over the next few weeks and months, he never returned my calls or faxes, was never in the office when I stopped by, etc. & I was never paid….
Fast forward 6 months or so, and he calls me (on a Tuesday), in another panic. “I just bought 50-ac and I need you to start on it tomorrow!”. Before I could respond, he starts apologizing for not paying me on the previous survey and asked if I will include the past due amount on this survey. He purchased the 50ac from a very good client of mine at the time, so I agreed to look at the site and give him a proposal. So I made a trip to courthouse & pulled couple deeds, went to the site and walked some of it, then returned to the office and worked up a proposal. I called him with the number; he didn’t hesitate, and asked if I could start tomorrow (Wednesday). I replied I was already booked, but could start Friday after lunch. He stated OK, so I faxed him a written proposal/contract and he returned it within the hour, signed. Friday after lunch we arrived at the site, only to find flagged stakes along the roadway, and cut lines into the woods, but there was no one on the site.
I called, faxed, stopped by his office every day for the next 3 weeks, but he never responded, and avoided me....
I met with an attorney to discuss it, he advised me to drop it, said his fees would eventually be more than the contract amount and because I didn't actually do any work, I couldn't lein the property
Fast forward couple years later, I attended a new church with some relatives. Guess who was one of the church deacons?????????? I found him after the service; he wouldn’t even make eye contact with me when I spoke to him……
I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you...
Crisis 'Ho...
is the term we use around here. Contractors, developers, builders, buyers, sellers...there's at least one in every category. I just wish they'd lose my number.
Thoughtless Clients ~ Somewhat Similar
In my opinion, you COULD lein that property. You did research for the job, that was part of the project. I would have filed that sucker. AND when I ran into him at the church, I would have talked to him about it, insisted on payment, and did it in front of some other people that probably would have made him uncomfortable.
I know this story well......over and over
Thoughtless Clients ~ Somewhat Similar
You can always put a lien on a property. You may
get sued; I never have seen it happen. For the cost
of most surveying bills, it is too expensive for the
culprit to hire an attorney. If he is selling it,]
a title company will not guarantee clear title and
the bank will not loan the money.