Surveyor woes- any advice???

[jinman]

I think it is likely that what everyone else says is true about this surveyor being up to his armpits in work and just does not have time to get to your job. I do think I'd call him and leave a message that you will be using another surveyor. I'd also follow that up with a normal letter. Be courteous and just say that you need the markers now and assume he is just too busy to do your job on your timeline.

I wanted a property line survey on a piece of property about 10 years ago. I made an appointment and went to talk to the surveyor. He said he was very busy, so I told him we should just hold off. I either needed the survey within a month or not at all.

Six months later as I was finishing up a deal for sale of the property, I noticed new survey markers. In about two weeks, I got a survey map in and data in the mail from the original surveyor. I packaged the materials up and sent them back to him with a nice letter reminding him of the decision we had made to hold off. He called me on the phone and explained that he had been so busy he could not remember what we had decided, but he would accept my statement. I felt pretty bad, but that was the beginning of the gas well boom here and that fellow's company has grown and grown. He's not a small business anymore.

 

[dmccarty]

My suspicion is that surveys like this get moved to the bottom of the pile. About 4-5 years ago we had the company that subdivided our land in the 70's and 80's come back and redo some lines for us. Four man crew and I think it was $90 and hour but I am not quite sure. Its in the ball park though.

My dad called them up and wanted them check a line for him. They never showed up after numerous phone calls. When we were building the house the bank required a survey of the house on the lot. I wish I had known that up front because I would have done things a bit differently but anywho the same company showed up pronto.

They know the house survey is important and needs to get done so it was a higher priority.

My county and two neighboring counties to our north are finally agreeing to boundries lines. The lines have been kinda in dispute but it was not pushed to resolution. Until now. Not many people cared back in the day when the land was forest or farm land. Now that the land is growing million dollar homes people care. There are going to be some people living in different counties.

Seems like a few years ago I read an article about two states getting finalized boundries after all of these years. I think it was NC and SC or maybe NC and VA.

Later,
Dan

 

[J_J]

Which warranty deed should anyone rely on for the geographic dimensions , the oldest or latest, or what? Shouldn't they all say the same thing, except when the property is broken down into smaller sections? Even then, it seems that the surveyor is the one to write the description, and certify that it is true and correct to a certain standard. Should not all the exception be noted from the original survey?

I have found out that one can not ever learn enough, but who, or what do you rely on for the truth.

 

[Flatheadyoungin]

i don't have any disputes, as of now......this is why i want them marked now.....most of the neighbors have been really good and i want to keep it that way once they pass away or sell is mainly why i want them marked clearly.......

just like now, there is a cherry tree that fell on to me....it's about 75' from one of my clearly marked corners. i'd like to drag it in and cut it up.....i have a friend with a sawmill and i'd like to have some mantels made to use in our house when we build.......

what is in question, is whether or not the root ball is on me or the adjoining property......i'm sure the fella won't mind me taking it because he can't even hardly access his back corner where it is.......however, i'd like to know for sure (just as an example) so i don't have to ask.......

each state is different, but in general.....say a tree falls from my property and lands on another....who's responsible......i would assume me......what if it lands on a neighbor's barbed wired fence.....i assume i would have to repair it...

 

[EddieWalker]

Dan reminded me of something.

Surveyors do allot of work for a very few clients. Realtors are their bread and butter. If that realtor calls the surveyor and asks for a job to be done, it gets done. If you call, he'll put you off because you are a one time deal, where the realtor might be 50 jobs a year.

Have you contacted your realtor? I'd see if he/she would talk to the surveyor for you. Sometimes all you need is a friendly call from somebody with more pull then you to get the results that you are looking for.

Eddie

 

[Podunkadunk]

I agree with Eddie on this one. His logic makes sense. Have your realtor, or a realtor you know and trust, call the surveyor with the request. Surveyors get a lot of "bird-dogs" from realtors.

Also,
I have a question pertaining to surveying, but I don't wish to hijack this thread. I really don't see how it could though, maybe it'll answer a pending question of the OP.

If your land is hilly, not flat and the line (on the survey plat) says it runs 1400 feet, is that a straight line distance like the crow flies, or is that a wheel on the ground distance?

Thanks all...don't mean to hijack.

Podunk

 

[Flatheadyoungin]

no realtor involved......at least not directly..

the guy i bought it from has used him many times (he's an attorney) and his nephew is a local realtor........and it took about 3-4 months to get him out then....

like i said, and has been said here, i know he was doing some really big commercial jobs but those should have slowed down- he even said it slows down in the fall and that he'd wait until the leaves fall off.......my fence rows are completely grown up....they had to shoot about 20ft inside some of the lines, through the fields and through the woods to get the corners......i told him i cut them back as much as possible and he acted like it wasn't a big deal.....i even told him to paint a spot on the ground and i'd back in there with my bush hog....still didn't think it was necessary...

i tried to call him about 9:30 on my cell.....i'm assuming my name comes up.......about 10, i tried to call him from my work phone and that would be one of his bigger clients....thinking he may be screening calls (i know, i know) but still got his answering machine....

i may have to try and stop by some time....

 

[J_J]

I agree with Eddie on this one. His logic makes sense. Have your realtor, or a realtor you know and trust, call the surveyor with the request. Surveyors get a lot of "bird-dogs" from realtors.

Also,
I have a question pertaining to surveying, but I don't wish to hijack this thread. I really don't see how it could though, maybe it'll answer a pending question of the OP.

If your land is hilly, not flat and the line (on the survey plat) says it runs 1400 feet, is that a straight line distance like the crow flies, or is that a wheel on the ground distance?

Thanks all...don't mean to hijack.

Podunk

It was explained to me this way. It is supposed to be a straight line, but if the ground is hilly as you said, they have to figure the incline, and decline. I believe that a good GPS system doesn't care about terrain.

An analogy might be, as straight as a crow flies, is not necessarily the true driving distance.

Dodgeman, what say you about all this.

 

[woodchuckie]

I have a survey on a 60 acre plot of my land. It shows each corner and the degree to go to the next corner. I can use my compass and go from corner to corner and not miss it by a foot. You do have to have the exact angle as the lines are not a precise north or south. I use this method for marking for timber cutters, site prep and tree planters.

 

[ZetorShaun]

I understand your passion for your property and your desire to know what you own down to the millimeter. I am in Ohio too. Your quotes sound low to me. There should be no problem getting a surveyor that will sink pins that will stand up in court if required. Get somebody who is interested, there are a lot of shoddy surveyors and surveying companies however there are many great ones too. Make sure they treat you piece of heaven the same way they treat a million dollar power plant job, there is no difference, a pin is a pin.

I would recommend that you see if you can assist. I worked with my surveyor holding poles and keeping my mouth shut on my 100 acres and it was very rewarding.

I would imagine that there are discrepancies because some surveyors get lazy and are not exacting. I really wouldn't want a surveyor who did not remember when we agreed he would lay out my property. Is that the kind of guy you want telling you exactly what you own in precise, irrefutable math drawn from known points or satellite signals? They should be as good as woodchuckies, not off by a foot though, maybe a few centimeters.

Anyway get somebody who is interested, patient, and can explain some of the basics to you. Forget about the first guy, he is busy, and he is not irreplaceable.

Once they sink the pins put a cinder block over it to protect it, then sink a t-post through the other side of the block, then paint the T-post orange so it is easy to find. Sometimes animals may chew the plastic caps. Good luck, have fun with it!