Monday: Investigate a potential job to create a ballpark estimate. What was a standard quarter section in 1975 now consists of 10 tracts with no surveys. All descriptions are homemade or pretty darned close to homemade. First tract out begins at northwest corner of the quarter section, goes so far east along north section line, then south parallel to west section line so far, then west parallel to north section line to west section line, then north to pob. The only one of 10 descriptions not requiring interpretation.
The second tract out begins at the northeast corner of the quarter section and runs west 2640 feet less the number of feet in the first tract out.....
The third tract out is the first that completely ignores the phrases such as "parallel to the north section line".
Each of the four corners of the quarter section are used as points of beginning and all totals equal exactly 2640.
Tuesday: This one involves a section split by a river. The authors of the Government Field Notes were masters of fiction writing. The Notes report that every time they encountered the river during their work they continued directly across as if it was all dry land. Aerial photos provide easy proof that all work was done on one side of the river before moving to the other side and doing everything on that side. There is a very significant jump in latitude between sections east and west of the river, creating an unintended kink that no one was supposed to ever discover existed.
Today: Reviewed a survey that required single proportioning between stones two and one-half miles apart as there was nothing else to guide anyone to possibly superior conclusions. Later, investigated a potential job with an abandoned railroad crossing the quarter section that was created with right-of-way limits being 37.5 feet either side of the project center line as staked in 1878 but has had all rails and ties removed so long ago that 60-foot tall trees have grown along the apparent center line. No other guidance exists as to where said railroad was actually located. Also researched another job where four different surveyors have already been involved in creating small adjoining tracts leaving a very misshapen parcel for which a three-way split is now being sought. Surveyor A's dimensions do not agree with Surveyor B's dimensions and so forth.
Thursday: Intend to begin a project where one of the tracts was more or less described as "that part that remains at this time" in 1910. We will dig up five stones that I discovered in place nearly 20 years ago by digging with a backhoe. We set bars alongside each at the time to provide a nice signal to assist in digging in the correct spot in the future (now). No shiny coordinates, just plain old blue limestones that were placed in 1872.
If it was easy, everyone would do it.
In your spare time research if you think there should be one or two positions for the CN 1/16th of S 5 T14N R24W P. M., M. And get back to me. I'm on holiday until.the 31st.
Forgot to mention the discussion with a fellow surveyor over non-surveyors attempting to survey. In this case they are simply trying to avoid the cost of an actual survey. The son of the property owner did his own measuring, then drew up a cartoon that might resemble a very poor survey plat, took it to the court house and told them he wanted to record it as a survey. He was told all surveys had to be reviewed. Long story short......the buyer wants proof that the words that they want to put on paper match where something was placed by the son at each corner. Not going to happen without a licensed surveyor being involved. So far, none of those who normally work in that county have been given the go ahead to do a survey although all have been contacted and asked to sign the son's cartoon for a small price.
Some of the cartoons that I have come across are much better than what a few of the surveyors have left for us to follow.
In Texas a land owner can survey and divide their own property.
Their survey only accepted on cash deals and simple property transfers without banks being involved.
I just finished a survey for a young woman who had taken her original deed and prepared descriptions for the division of property between her and her ex husband that became a part of their divorce agreement back in 2008.
Presently she is selling the property and she called me needing a title survey.
The new dimensions of the two dividing lines she created did not match what she had written, one boundary was off 0.58 feet and the other was off 0.89 feet.
She did clearly state the intent of their division of property to follow the alignment and extension of the chain link fence enclosing the back yard.
Three other surveyors working on neighboring property did not locate and find the original southwest corner of her property in recent years and a block corner of the adjoining lands.
I did find it about two feet deep on the south bank of a county road as established by an original survey in 1938.
They had simply started calling the intersection of driving lanes the property corner and set a RR Spike 20.68ft north and 0.49ft right along the correct boundary.
Holy Cow, post: 363875, member: 50 wrote: The authors of the Government Field Notes were masters of fiction writing
The 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Survey Journalism goes to [USER=50]@Holy Cow[/USER] for this timeless quote.
Rankin_File, post: 363887, member: 101 wrote: In your spare time research if you think there should be one or two positions for the CN 1/16th of S 5 T14N R24W P. M., M. And get back to me. I'm on holiday until.the 31st.
Lean towards two...........
Did you find the N and W1/4's?
Here's another reason why it's both fun and maddening:
It's a great life..................if you don't weaken.
MightyMoe, post: 363932, member: 700 wrote: Lean towards two...........
Did you find the N and W1/4's?
Ha! Had a typo in my post. I suck at Thumb typing on this phone ... it's actually S5 T14NR14W. A different fractional section. Very troubled North line based on the record..... And no I haven't search the north line yet. The lotting between the 1884 and 1886 surveys and plats complicate the work.... Not to mention the compass and chain breakdown done by the owners (Anaconda) in the 1960's...
Rankin_File, post: 364042, member: 101 wrote: Ha! Had a typo in my post. I suck at Thumb typing on this phone ... it's actually S5 T14NR14W. A different fractional section. Very troubled North line based on the record..... And no I haven't search the north line yet. The lotting between the 1884 and 1886 surveys and plats complicate the work.... Not to mention the compass and chain breakdown done by the owners (Anaconda) in the 1960's...
That is weird, you should look at S5 T14 R24, it has a similar issue,,,,,,,,,
If this were a "virgin" section I would say you have to set two, although maybe field against plat somehow works out, I just don't see how.
Now you are saying it's already set? I would tend to hold what has been done. The C1/4 might need two also, the N-S centerline should be 1/4 to 1/4, but the E-W centerline not so sure.
Tommy Young, post: 363881, member: 703 wrote: If it was easy, everyone would do it.
Funny, everyone I've ever met has done it in the past or at least already knows how it's done.
