Surveying: Who Needs Surveyors?

[tribdog]

This is for the other people who have anything to do with surveying.
My company won the contract on a luxury housing development in a very exclusive area of the West Valley here in Arizona. The lots alone are mid 6 figure. The lots are being built into the side of a small mountain, and the owner of the development isn't allowed to touch anything above the areas being developed. I was hired to stake out where the construction limits are, then he was bringing in some people to string a rope fence along the points I gave him. The points I put in are what are called for in the plans, and the plans have been approved by the city. I was about half-way done today, and I noticed that the points I had already set had been moved. The owner was moving them to where he thought they should be. It's a good thing I caught it, I was able to get the owner to take responsibility for where the points are now, but it could have been my butt if I didn't cover it.

 

[Averagesupernova]

He can't do that. You could still be liable I would think. I would like to move the boundaries of my property where I think they should be. What an ego this jacka$$ must have.

 

[Moonbear]

He can't do that. You could still be liable I would think. I would like to move the boundaries of my property where I think they should be. What an ego this jacka$$ must have.

Unfortunately, a bit too common among builders/developers. One of my friends went through a nightmare with a builder who gave him a different survey report for his property than the one on record (if he had seen the one on record, he'd have never bought the property, but until the zillionth other problem with the construction of his house, and massive drainage problems on the property, he didn't even consider the report he was given was altered from that on record! Of course, in his case, the surveyor was obviously in on it. I'm not sure where that stands now. He was able to back out of the contract on the house, but I know he was planning on going after the surveyor too for falsifying the report. Watch your back with them!

 

[michaeldouglassewell]

I'll bet that you will be keeping some seriously detailed field notes on this job. Good luck with this character; I don't envy you.

-Mike

 

[Bystander]

You might want to check state and local statutes (or have a professional leech (lawyer) look at them) --- you could be in jeopardy of losing your license for failure to report such shenanigans --- not that the authorities to which such reports are to be submitted ain't getting double and triple handfuls under the table. "Gotta go along to get along" is also something to consider --- license is useless if no one will use you --- "damned troublemaker."

 

[FredGarvin]

You might want to check state and local statutes (or have a professional leech (lawyer) look at them) --- you could be in jeopardy of losing your license for failure to report such shenanigans --- not that the authorities to which such reports are to be submitted ain't getting double and triple handfuls under the table. "Gotta go along to get along" is also something to consider --- license is useless if no one will use you --- "damned troublemaker."

In my neck of the woods, reporting something like that would get the messenger shot and then sued. Michigan is a developer's wonderland. They can do whatever the heck they want.

 

[Astronuc]

Well, keep detailed and comprehensive records, and consider using a digital camera so that you can actually record the physical location of the boundary and other markers. Make sure your boss knows.

There are certainly unscrupulous builders and developers who will cut corners.

Good luck.

 

[tribdog]

the part I found most disturbing was that he was moving the points, but keeping the same overall shape of what is on the plans. He said "they'll never even notice."
This is going to be a fun job.

 

[michaeldouglassewell]

consider using a digital camera...

Great Idea.

-Mike

 

[Moonbear]

I asked a friend of mine about this, someone who has left engineering for law (figured that's the right combination). Anyway, he had three comments:
1) That's why you're supposed to paint the markers and ground around them, so they can't just move the markers
2) Use survey spikes, they're harder to pull up and move (I'm not sure what these are, or what else you use instead, just passing along the info)
3) You're obviously relatively new to surveying to be posting on the internet about an unscrupulous builder (this was related to the same sentiments as Bystander and FredGarvin posted about liability for not reporting vs "shoot the messenger" and you'll never work again if builders find out you reported one of them).

 

[Averagesupernova]

Moonbear, the owner moved the stakes. Builder shouldn't give a hoot.

 

[Moonbear]

Moonbear, the owner moved the stakes. Builder shouldn't give a hoot.

Oh, you're right, I was using the terms synonymously to mean owner/developer, but I understand where you're coming from, builder could mean the person contracted to construct the buildings on the property, not the owner. When I say builder in the above post, I mean owner.

 

[calliejoy]

Removing Survey Stakes

In Michigan, can a resident remove survey stakes from his own property if he paid for the survey?