Question about land survey

[alexinPA]

When I purchased my property (1999) I found a corner post: about 1" pipe in the ground
with 3 colour tags (2 more properties come to this corner). I assumed this is it. Last week
there was wooden stake 15' away saying: "metal plate found", new red plate in the ground and red tags on trees and bushes along my property line. Both neighbors were unaware of this and denied using any survey co. services. So, I pulled the stake and removed the tags. The question is: if 2 land surveys marked same property corner say 10' apart, which one is the right one?

 

[rjkobbeman]

When I purchased my property (1999) I found a corner post: about 1" pipe in the ground
with 3 colour tags (2 more properties come to this corner). I assumed this is it. Last week
there was wooden stake 15' away saying: "metal plate found", new red plate in the ground and red tags on trees and bushes along my property line. Both neighbors were unaware of this and denied using any survey co. services. So, I pulled the stake and removed the tags. The question is: if 2 land surveys marked same property corner say 10' apart, which one is the right one?

If two surveys came up with two answers, I would bet another survey would be required to verify.

On your own, you should be able to get the official land coordinates (forgive my terminology) -- this is what the surveyors go by. Depending on how complex your land layout is, you should be able to follow the coordinates and figure it out. 10' off should be off enough for you to be more precise. Keep in mind, sometimes the surveyor stakes are located x-number of feet away from property line because the line may be in a creek, etc. The stake itself would not be the "line". In this case, the offset would be noted.

Any disputes are going to lead back to these coordinates that I speak of.

 

[teg]

How old is your survey??? They were not that great... although, lines were pretty well laid out with corners... My friend bought "23 acres" and had agreed to a price per acre based on a new survey. Property ended up being 14.5 +/- acres. The corners were correct so this really doesn't apply... :ashamed: but I could see where anyone could place a pipe in the ground *wanting* the corner to be there... Your survey should state if it was a pipe or a plate... sounds like a trip to the court house.

 

[Freds]

Just to say, I had my land surveyed a few years back and the surveyors told me it was illegal to remove their stakes. I had specifically asked because a neighbor had led me to believe she owned more than what she did and I wanted to know what would happen if that stake "disappeared".
Just because your neighbors aren't doing anything doesn't mean the township didn't sneak in there and start marking for something.
Just sayin'.

 

[two_bit_score]

When I purchased my property (1999) I found a corner post: about 1" pipe in the ground
with 3 colour tags (2 more properties come to this corner). I assumed this is it. Last week
there was wooden stake 15' away saying: "metal plate found", new red plate in the ground and red tags on trees and bushes along my property line. Both neighbors were unaware of this and denied using any survey co. services. So, I pulled the stake and removed the tags. The question is: if 2 land surveys marked same property corner say 10' apart, which one is the right one?

Are there any pipelines or other easements in the area? You may have pulled up a ROW marker of some sort that has nothing to do with your corner. Or not. Is it possible to find out who set the marker in order to find out what it was there for?

Have you talked to your own surveyor about this?

 

[dodge man]

I am a land surveyor in Illinois and Iowa, so I am not really sure how things work in Pa. Some state require tags to be put on monuments with the surveyors license number on it, or caps on top of the corner marker, which sounds like what you are describing. In a perfect world, all surveyors would come up with the same location for your corner. It isn't a perfect world, so sometimes we disagree. Sometimes there is a conflict in the deeds that gives a different locations, sometimes a surveyor see the evidence of the boundary in a different manner than someone else.

You should not have pulled the marker. Like someone else said, it could be some kind of offset, or it may not have anything to do with the boundary. If the surveyors license number was on it, you should have contacted him and asked him "whats up". I welcome people who call me or ask me in the field what we are doing. I like to educate the public and let them know what we are doing. I would say in the future, don't pull the markers, most states have a law against it. If it is just a wood stake that makes the corner visable on a temporary basis, there is nothing wrong with pulling them once you get tired of mowing around it, but the metal stake in the ground should be left alone.

 

[sweettractors]

I am a land surveyor in Illinois and Iowa, so I am not really sure how things work in Pa. Some state require tags to be put on monuments with the surveyors license number on it, or caps on top of the corner marker, which sounds like what you are describing. In a perfect world, all surveyors would come up with the same location for your corner. It isn't a perfect world, so sometimes we disagree. Sometimes there is a conflict in the deeds that gives a different locations, sometimes a surveyor see the evidence of the boundary in a different manner than someone else.

You should not have pulled the marker. Like someone else said, it could be some kind of offset, or it may not have anything to do with the boundary. If the surveyors license number was on it, you should have contacted him and asked him "whats up". I welcome people who call me or ask me in the field what we are doing. I like to educate the public and let them know what we are doing. I would say in the future, don't pull the markers, most states have a law against it. If it is just a wood stake that makes the corner visable on a temporary basis, there is nothing wrong with pulling them once you get tired of mowing around it, but the metal stake in the ground should be left alone.

I had a neighbor that pulled up a marker. He wishes now he had not. Nuf said Ken Sweet

 

[gauthier]

Well,like anything else,communication. When surveyers are working on small lots/acreage,or when a neighbor has property surveyed,they should let you know they are there,and whats going on[if they can reach you],,they don't around here,they come in,put stakes and ribbons all over the place,,I pull them out/remove ribbons. Cause,unless they prove otherwise,they are treaspassing.

Now have noticed many times they put stakes[wooden] and ribbons,for referance only,they just don't remove them when they are done.

A survey is just that,a surveyer,is just that,you get a piece of land surveyed,than I get different surveyer and get same piece surveyed couple years later,probably get a tad different results,thats just a fact,,and people are real touchy about such things,so,,communication should be the key in land surveying,but it ain't,so pull them all up,,,how are they going to know you did it anyways??

 

[dodge man]

Many states have "right of entry" for land surveyors. It says we can go on other peoples property to complete our survey. Say you can't find any of the property corners on the property you are surveying. How are you going to do the job unless you go on the adjoiners property?

As far as talking to the adjoiners, I gave up on that years ago. If someone comes out, I talk to them and tell them what we are doing. There are so many people gone during the day, some many land owners that live miles away from where I'm working, its not worth the time and expense. The only time I contact adjoiners is if I want to drive across their ground to look for corners, other wise I just walk.

Like I said, its against the law to pull survey markers. How would you feel if you paid for a survey, and then your neighbor pulled your stakes? It's no different than going over and slashing his tires. It can cost thousands of dollars to do a survey in rural areas, and would cost the owner money to reset the stakes.

 

[sweettractors]

Well,like anything else,communication. When surveyers are working on small lots/acreage,or when a neighbor has property surveyed,they should let you know they are there,and whats going on[if they can reach you],,they don't around here,they come in,put stakes and ribbons all over the place,,I pull them out/remove ribbons. Cause,unless they prove otherwise,they are treaspassing.

Now have noticed many times they put stakes[wooden] and ribbons,for referance only,they just don't remove them when they are done.

A survey is just that,a surveyer,is just that,you get a piece of land surveyed,than I get different surveyer and get same piece surveyed couple years later,probably get a tad different results,thats just a fact,,and people are real touchy about such things,so,,communication should be the key in land surveying,but it ain't,so pull them all up,,,how are they going to know you did it anyways??

I caught my neighbor on Video Ken Sweet