The discussion now far below about what to do when a post or something is occupying the true corner such that you can't set a standard monument reminded me of what happened to me about 15 years ago. We were creating a new subdivision. Three sides were streets and the fourth was a metes and bounds tract defined as being parallel with a railroad. One of our subdivision corners feel near, but not precisely on, the center of a 15" diameter pecan tree. We set witness corners at a distance of three feet down each sideline. On the plat we stated that the tree "was on the corner". We did not say that the tree "was the corner". The true corner was not to move at the whim of the future growth and leaning of the tree. This is much different from calling a specific monument in a metes and bounds description as being the corner.
I one time called for a '57 chevy, being "on the corner".
What about a big fat lady "Being on the corner?"
She might move!
N
Mine go something like "500.00 feet to a point in a 15" Pecan for the Northwest corner of this tract, from which a 1/2" steel rod w/cap for reference is East, 3.00 feet and from said point in 15" Pecan, another 1/2" steel rod w/cap set for reference is South, 3.00 feet"
The corner and the tree occupy the same location, but that doesn't make the corner the tree. I remember a survey I did 15 years ago, whereby the client wanted specific corners to be trees. They were all crappy trees like iron wood (American Hop-Hornbeam if I remember right) and Winged Elm. I begged the man to let me set iron rods for the corners and witness the trees some 2.0 feet away. Nothing doing. I bet most of the trees are gone now, but I left reference rods and odd bearings and distances away and marked "X" on four sides of all the corners.
If you're going to use a tree for a corner, make it a good one. 10" Minimum 20" maximum around here, and mark it well.
I was taught that a "corner" was a theoretical point. Sometimes surveyors are lucky enough to set a monument at the "corner", but there is probably some undiscovered evidence that affects the location of the "corner".