We perform comprehensive boundary surveys. We are not “deed stakers”. Almost any survey tech can be sent to the field unsupervised and stake out a deed description accurately. This is a rather quick and easy method of performing a property survey that will meet the minimum requirements of the current state regulations as long as the drawing meets drafting standards. Some firms do just that.
The licensed surveyor stays in his office and somehow can supervise his numerous field crews as they make important decisions on the location of your property lines. These businesses rely on volume and low cost work to survive.
The “Deed Staker”
This is what we true surveyors call the “pin cushion effect”. This picture was taken of a Client’s property corner marker. The pinched pipe (painted Red in the photo) was set in 1905 to mark one of the corners of my Client’s lot. In the last 30 years, 3 different survey firms sent ( I suspect unsupervised) field crews to Stake the Deed. All 3 firms either did not look for the original corner, “the pinched pipe”, or decided to ignore it. The fence was built on the lot line as monumented by the pipe, All 3 survey firms reported that the fence was encroaching the neighbors property. Worse yet one of the firms has staked the deed at least two times as there is two of their capped irons present. How could this happen?
Not only did the “Deed Staker Crew” not look for field evidence, they did not even research their employer’s records to determine if their firm had ever surveyed the property in the past. Obviously the Surveyor in charge was not supervising the Client’s project. Fortunately the Client hired our firm and we searched for and we found the original lot corners. With a through and accurate survey the Client was not forced to move his long withstanding fence.
You as a property owner. Can you afford to give up your property rights that are yours simply because your Surveyor did sloppy work in performing field work and not looking for an recovering old ancient markers?