It has happened again!!!!!!
About eight years ago I laid out a rectangular tract for a client of about 20 acres.?ÿ Another firm set out to cut 10 acres off of that tract.?ÿ The resulting tract makes me look incompetent but actually makes the recent surveyor incompetent as well.
Here is what happened.?ÿ The four monuments along the section line which are bars driven into a county road match very well.?ÿ The two bars I set for the west side of the tract were found, but not where I put them.?ÿ That is the rub.?ÿ The people who purchased the land surrounding the 20-acre tract needed to construct livestock fencing.?ÿ Clearly, what they did is pull up my bar, set a corner post, then put my bar somewhere next to the new post, at both corners on the west side.?ÿ The recent surveyor simply shot the bars and wrote a new description in error.?ÿ I am certain they should have recognized that the centers of the new posts would be the true location of the property corner, not the disturbed bars.
THINK?ÿ Why would the north and south lines, which were set perpendicular with the section line, NOT be close to perpendicular, especially as this is an open line of site??ÿ Why would the west line now be 1.4 feet longer than reported and the north line angling to the north and the south line angling to the south??ÿ Both the north and south lines are about 0.7 feet short in 850 feet.
Egregious errors, such as this, are what drive other people, who must rely on licensed land surveyors, crazy.
Had I been doing the recent survey the west corners would have been identified as "corner post on true corner, disturbed bar found x.xx north and x.xx east" or something similar.?ÿ?ÿ
WATCH OUT FOR THIS KIND OF SLOPPY SURVEYING AS YOU EVALUATE FOUND MONUMENTS.
BTW, this recent survey is not acceptable per the Minimum Standards as no one contacted me to ask how it could be that my monuments were found to be so far from where I reported them to be.?ÿ An error of 1.4 feet is a little over 1000 feet should indicate a disagreement with the earlier surveyor.?ÿ Such disagreement requires contact with the prior surveyor.
They didn't contact you, but I presume that you will be contacting them. I can't wait for a report of that conversation. And if they are not responsive, you have grounds for a board complaint.?ÿ
Can we get a little more of the backstory?
How did you find out about this?
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Do the monuments look original and undisturbed today?
Looks like recording a new survey, cleaning up the confusion is in order; who's going to pay for that?
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IMWTK
Dougie
There was a case in a state I will not name, where a very reputable surveyor reported a matter to the State Board. Following the filing, this reputable surveyor was required to supply the Board with documentation of his work to support his complaint.
When the case concluded the reputable surveyor had an even bigger problem that the sorry surveyor he reported on.
Please don't take this to mean that I am endorsing simply turning your back on negligent work. I am not, regardless how anyone wants to take my words of caution. Just that when going to the Board you might want to double check everything.
I will not repeat the words the reputable surveyor had regarding his future of possible filing of complaints against another surveyor.
I have no dog in this fight. Just be careful. Be very careful. But, as suggested, always, always take it up with the surveyor you disagree with before EVER going to the Board.
Following the filing, this reputable surveyor was required to supply the Board with documentation of his work to support his complaint
I'm thinking that if the basis of the complaint is "failing to respond to the inquiries of a fellow surveyor" then the whole technical part could be dispensed with. I know that this was, and is, a point of focus for the Oklahoma board.?ÿ Boards are generally loath to get into differences of opinion between registrants - even when things are obvious.?ÿ But things like failure to file, right of entry, and failing to be responsive are much easier for them to deal with.?ÿ ?ÿ ?ÿ
reminds me of a story this interested old guy watching me survey down in Las Cruces one day.
He asked " do you know what a Pinion is?"
"I sure do!" I responded.
He asks " Ok, if I have one pinion in my left hand, and two pinions in my right hand, what do I have?"
????
carry on.
Sounds like a failure to talk to the landowner.?ÿ When I first got out of school I noticed how surveyors apparently hate to get stuck talking to the landowner.?ÿ As a newbie the arguments seemed somewhat believable.?ÿ Now that I have more experience and have actually been helped by the landowner a number of times, I really have no sympathy for surveyors that get burned this way.?ÿ ???ú????
Two days ago I sent a courteous note to another surveyor pointing out that his subdivision is based upon brass caps he found in the street but unfortunately those brass caps were set by Brand X and are in the wrong place by up to two feet.?ÿ I had documented the errors in several record of surveys I filed. He replied with a pleasant "Thank you, Bruce." That's the way it is supposed to happen.
On the other hand, I've also had blistering responses and denials from other surveyors when I pointed out rather glaring errors in their works. One actually told me had provided the correct information to the drafter and it was not his job to check everything before he signed and sealed the drawing. That rather discourages one.
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Our discussion was quite amicable.?ÿ The survey is being corrected.?ÿ This is the proper way to smooth things out.?ÿ Some education occurred in both directions.
We all need to keep this type of thing in mind, though.?ÿ Finding what looks like a valid monument should be analyzed thoroughly for reasons why it might have been disturbed before accepting it in the wrong location.?ÿ The general tendency is to grab what is found and run with it.?ÿ That may work in Texas ( a little kick at Kent), but it shouldn't work anywhere else.
In farmer talk, who cares about a foot? That's a bit too much care for my business. You can do as you like. But, that fence ain't movin. It's a lot of work to move a fence. Me an my neighbor jo knows where the line is. We pulled up those pins, an set our corner post in the right place. We know. You high falutin edjumiketed can do as you like. We know where our lines is.
The farmer.
