Advice on locating missing survey pin?

[Rob-D]

Figure about where you think it should go and then move ten of fifteen feet toward your neighbors property, pound a rusty length of rebar in the ground and then call him and ask if he can help you find the pin!

Rob

 

[Wnc3]

Figure about where you think it should go and then move ten of fifteen feet toward your neighbors property, pound a rusty length of rebar in the ground and then call him and ask if he can help you find the pin!

Rob

That's funny!

Now go hire a surveyor.

 

[sixdogs]

Figure about where you think it should go and then move ten of fifteen feet toward your neighbors property, pound a rusty length of rebar in the ground and then call him and ask if he can help you find the pin!

Rob

What a a neat idea.

 

[Jstpssng]

Figure about where you think it should go and then move ten of fifteen feet toward your neighbors property, pound a rusty length of rebar in the ground and then call him and ask if he can help you find the pin!

Rob

Best answer I've seen so far. :thumbsup:

I'm not a surveyor, nor do I pretend to be one on TV. However, after 30+ years in forestry I'm confident that if I say this is where your line is, it's there; only a full blown survey plus court action will prove me wrong.

In order to say that, I err on the side of caution A surveyor will have my knowledge of deed and field interpretation, plus he has more knowledge of survey law, more accurate equipment.... He will also have better insurance if he makes a mistake. After all, surveying is 95% science, and 5% art. Especially when it comes to figuring out transactions done 200 years ago when land was cheap the world was still flat.

 

[MikeFarm]

Hi

Instead of trying to sight from two known points to get the intersection just take a compass and go to roughly where the missing survey marker is. Then calculate the back bearing from the survey marker to the two points and move around until you are in a place where the two back bearings agree.

A laser pointer is useful for distances too.

Mike

 

[dodge man]

One thing I'm not sure of after reading the original post is does he want the line marked and the corner found, or just the corner found? If he just wants to locate the missing corner, some of the above advice might work. There will always be doubt in the back of your mind, did I find the corner, or a piece of junk.

The post that says surveying is part art and part science is sort of correct, but its more 50-50. Its not really art, but more a matter of experience. I treat my surveyors license like its some sort of rare, fragile artifact. Its something you have to be carefull how you use it, or it will fall apart on you.

 

[wesmann]

Thanks to all. I'll try the metal detector and then maybe hire a pro. The original survey is from 1909 and seems quite precise. Distance from both known pins is about 650' through deep woods. There was a stake. I know about where it was but a few years ago the stake was pulled and a new one appeared and the change was in my favor... I suspect neighbor #3. That stake is gone now too. There is currently no action to sell or divide that I know of but I'm thinking about starting a timber stand improvement plan and don't want to cut anything that isn't mine.

 

[Car Doc]

Figure about where you think it should go and then move ten of fifteen feet toward your neighbors property, pound a rusty length of rebar in the ground and then call him and ask if he can help you find the pin!

Rob

Good one! :laughing: :thumbsup:

But on the real side...I had a neighbor did that to me but he used the court to make me move my property line my survey said wasn't where he said it was. He lost eventually after I overturned his judge but so did I that was real expensive and time consuming.

 

[dodge man]

1909, that was a while ago. In my area, it was common practice to use stones at that time, but some surveyors had moved to using iron rods. Its sounds like you need a surveyor. You have to put a value on how bad you need that corner, it doesn't sound like a cheap survey.

 

[dmccarty]

Thanks to all. I'll try the metal detector and then maybe hire a pro. The original survey is from 1909 and seems quite precise. Distance from both known pins is about 650' through deep woods. There was a stake. I know about where it was but a few years ago the stake was pulled and a new one appeared and the change was in my favor... I suspect neighbor #3. That stake is gone now too. There is currently no action to sell or divide that I know of but I'm thinking about starting a timber stand improvement plan and don't want to cut anything that isn't mine.

IF the land was wooded in 1909 they might have hacked the trees near the pin. Two hatches on a tree in my area indicate the property line is on that side of the tree. Three hatches indicate a nearby corner. Usually three trees are hatched around the pin so you know, sorta, kinda, the general location of the marker.

The metal detector is the best idea for finding a hidden pin. Otherwise it is surveyor time.

Are aerial photos available at the county? Our county has the property lines drawn on aerial photos. If your county has these photos that should get you close to the corner to look for the pin.

Later,
Dan