Encroachments & Surveys

orange-big.png

December is a busy month at home, but slow at the office. I suspect surveyors may find that they don’t have quite as much new work during the holiday season either. [If this isn’t the case, by all means feel free to correct me.] On this penultimate day of 2014, I want to take a

orange-big.pngTwenty years ago this past February, perhaps President Clinton’s third most cryptic saying following only: “It depends on what the meaning of the word is … is” and “I didn’t inhale” became military policy.

Specifically, Clinton enacted the policy of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Though scoffed at by many on the left and hated both

orange-big.pngI have become increasingly involved in discussions about whether or not surveyors should be allowed to assist in the conflict resolution process. When a surveyor identifies a difference between titled property bounds and longstanding occupational uses, should they be allowed to help parties not only understand the difference, but also find ways to reconcile it.

orange-big.pngAs an associate member of the Land Surveyors Association of Washington (LSAW), I receive the quarterly magazine, Evergreen State Surveyor. The Winter 2012 edition had an interesting article written by the wife of a surveyor. This is the view of someone close, but not within the survey profession.

Author Stephanie Dickson chronicles her husband’s

orange-big.pngThe situation is this. You are about to hire a surveyor. You should anticipate the possibility that the surveyor will determine a boundary which is contrary to your understanding of the use and occupation on the ground. 

There are several reasons for seeeking this upfront clarity … and contingency planning when contracting with your surveyor.

orange-big.png

I received an important comment to my recent post “Survey Says the Fence Encroaches – Now What?“. I think that commenter Scott D. Warner, R.L.S. Senior Director / Editor Land Surveyors United (www.landsurveyorsunited.com) has made such an important point that I want to reproduce it here, so that it won’t be overlooked.

orange-big.png

A survey is authenticated not by the fact that a surveyor’s stamp is upon it. This alone is inadequate.

In addition to the stamp, the surveyor must place his or her signature and the handwritten date of the survey’s completion across the stamp.

Notably, in the past the expiration of the surveyor’s current license (which must be renewed every

orange-big.png

Last night I went to the monthly North Puget Sound – Land Surveyors of Washington (NPLS-LSAW) meeting. After all the chapter business was conducted, Bobby Wildrick, PLS (i.e. professional land surveyor) gave a presentation about GPS accuracy.

Mr. Wildrick conducted an experiment, in which seeking to hold all other variables constant, he used high-end Leica