I'm a Land Surveyor now! Ask Me Things!

[aitm]

I would try to get that foot back soon. In many states they have some crazy ass law that states if you allow people to use your property long enough, it becomes a legal right of way for them forever.

[Cavebear]

I would try to get that foot back soon. In many states they have some crazy ass law that states if you allow people to use your property long enough, it becomes a legal right of way for them forever.

Thank you both and you are both quite correct.  There is loss of property through disuse.  But my neighbor is new, so I might be able to make a legal claim back.  My property is surely not a part of the new sale.

I need to discuss it.

Still, my question to the surveyor was about how to get a measurement...

[The Skeletal Atheist]

SGOS covered it quite well. I would like to add that if you know where the property markers are, try the diplomatic approach before anything. Even a simple survey like that will still cost a few hundred dollars, and if it enters the legal arena you will absolutely need a survey done.

I mostly do surveys for permits, but the last survey I did for a fencing dispute was a pretty good example of where diplomacy would have saved everyone money. The guy's neighbor was piling dog shit against his fence, insisting that his fence went a few inches over the property line. It turns out that his fence was inside his property line a good 6 inches, so his neighbor was wrong. That's a good deal and everything, but something that could have been solved by inviting your neighbor over for a beer instead cost him about $500.

[The Skeletal Atheist]

Thank you both and you are both quite correct.  There is loss of property through disuse.  But my neighbor is new, so I might be able to make a legal claim back.  My property is surely not a part of the new sale.

I need to discuss it.

Still, my question to the surveyor was about how to get a measurement...

For accurate location and measurements you would need a boundary survey with stakes on line. Essentially the machine will tell us where to put the stakes that show your property line. The surveyor would also locate your fence and see if it's over the line in any spot.

[Cavebear]

SGOS covered it quite well. I would like to add that if you know where the property markers are, try the diplomatic approach before anything. Even a simple survey like that will still cost a few hundred dollars, and if it enters the legal arena you will absolutely need a survey done.

I mostly do surveys for permits, but the last survey I did for a fencing dispute was a pretty good example of where diplomacy would have saved everyone money. The guy's neighbor was piling dog shit against his fence, insisting that his fence went a few inches over the property line. It turns out that his fence was inside his property line a good 6 inches, so his neighbor was wrong. That's a good deal and everything, but something that could have been solved by inviting your neighbor over for a beer instead cost him about $500.

A few $100 dollars would be trivial...

[SGOS]

Still, my question to the surveyor was about how to get a measurement...

You may not need it.  The county records, and plats may be all that is needed, but if your neighbor disputes it, the only solution may be another survey, paid for by either you or the neighbor.  In the old days, pre GPS, this would probably involve a survey from the nearest brass cap, which officially marks a section corner or a quarter corner.  This would determine the correct locations of the rebar or axle that marks the property boundary.

I was surprised to hear recently, that much of the East, like east of the Mississippi River does not have surveyed Townships, and hence, no section corners.  If this is true, I don't have any idea how property boundaries would be determined.  I did a quick internet search and couldn't confirm this, however.  But there has to be some legal redress to solve disputes.  Ultimately, there needs to be some fixed locations like the Western brass caps that can be used as an official reference that can be surveyed from.  Otherwise property ownership would all be based on "down the road to Joe Barnard's place over to the old windmill past Archer's woods," and nobody would truly have a clue what they owned.

[Cavebear]

You may not need it.  The county records, and plats may be all that is needed, but if your neighbor disputes it, the only solution may be another survey, paid for by either you or the neighbor.  In the old days, pre GPS, this would probably involve a survey from the nearest brass cap, which officially marks a section corner or a quarter corner.  This would determine the correct locations of the rebar or axle that marks the property boundary.

I was surprised to hear recently, that much of the East, like east of the Mississippi River does not have surveyed Townships, and hence, no section corners.  If this is true, I don't have any idea how property boundaries would be determined.  I did a quick internet search and couldn't confirm this, however.  But there has to be some legal redress to solve disputes.  Ultimately, there needs to be some fixed locations like the Western brass caps that can be used as an official reference that can be surveyed from.  Otherwise property ownership would all be based on "down the road to Joe Barnard's place over to the old windmill past Archer's woods," and nobody would truly have a clue what they owned.

Actually, I know exactly where all the survey pipes are inset, and I have a 5 corner property.  It should be very easy to establish the lines.

[The Skeletal Atheist]

You may not need it.  The county records, and plats may be all that is needed, but if your neighbor disputes it, the only solution may be another survey, paid for by either you or the neighbor.  In the old days, pre GPS, this would probably involve a survey from the nearest brass cap, which officially marks a section corner or a quarter corner.  This would determine the correct locations of the rebar or axle that marks the property boundary.

I was surprised to hear recently, that much of the East, like east of the Mississippi River does not have surveyed Townships, and hence, no section corners.  If this is true, I don't have any idea how property boundaries would be determined.  I did a quick internet search and couldn't confirm this, however.  But there has to be some legal redress to solve disputes.  Ultimately, there needs to be some fixed locations like the Western brass caps that can be used as an official reference that can be surveyed from.  Otherwise property ownership would all be based on "down the road to Joe Barnard's place over to the old windmill past Archer's woods," and nobody would truly have a clue what they owned.

There are brass disks here, but they are not as common as out west. I can't speak for other states, but down here if you really needed to the legal description of your property should start from the right of way of some nearby intersection. I really don't use that though, as long as the math works and the pins are there.

[The Skeletal Atheist]

Actually, I know exactly where all the survey pipes are inset, and I have a 5 corner property.  It should be very easy to establish the lines.

A plat is still useful just so you can show that those are your pipes in particular.

[SGOS]

There are brass disks here, but they are not as common as out west. I can't speak for other states, but down here if you really needed to the legal description of your property should start from the right of way of some nearby intersection. I really don't use that though, as long as the math works and the pins are there.

I wondered about that.

[Cavebear]

A plat is still useful just so you can show that those are your pipes in particular.

Yes, but knowing where start measuring locally is 90% of the problem solved.

[The Skeletal Atheist]

I wondered about that.

Like, I suppose if I was surveying an empty tract of land and I didn't know where it was I'd survey from the right of way, but otherwise as long as I have a plat and an address I can find out where I'm supposed to be. Even in the empty tracts of land I simply use bordering property to establish where I need to be. It helps that I work in the Atlanta area and just about every empty piece of property is bordered by developed properties. If I were in a rural area with just a plat and a legal description I would survey from the intersection, but it's not needed in my day to day work.

[Cavebear]

Like, I suppose if I was surveying an empty tract of land and I didn't know where it was I'd survey from the right of way, but otherwise as long as I have a plat and an address I can find out where I'm supposed to be. Even in the empty tracts of land I simply use bordering property to establish where I need to be. It helps that I work in the Atlanta area and just about every empty piece of property is bordered by developed properties. If I were in a rural area with just a plat and a legal description I would survey from the intersection, but it's not needed in my day to day work.

3 Pipes and a plat beats an ace of fences.  Right?  LOL!

[The Skeletal Atheist]

An acre of fences can be a pain in the ass for practical reasons on my end. Pro tip: if you wanna be a surveyor in an area that's both urban and still inexplicably heavily wooded, always carry a machete and learn how to jump a fence. Not everyone does it, but I also carry pepper spray in case I come across any aggressive dogs.

[Cavebear]

An acre of fences can be a pain in the ass for practical reasons on my end. Pro tip: if you wanna be a surveyor in an area that's both urban and still inexplicably heavily wooded, always carry a machete and learn how to jump a fence. Not everyone does it, but I also carry pepper spray in case I come across any aggressive dogs.

Figured out surveying on my own with compass and chain and plat copy.