Land Surveying Question

[TurdFerguson]

My sister and I inherited a piece of property about 8 years ago after Dad died. Out property splits our neighbor's property in 2. Neighbor's are at war with each other over their properties. One is extremely shady.

Sister is selling her side, so we had the whole property surveyed so it could split. Im keeping mine due to timber value. I know people can get a copy of the survey/deed at the court house, however its come to light that my surveyor mailed a copy to the shitty neighbor. I am a little concerned, I have not questioned the surveyor yet about why or what he sent. Should I be concerned that the neighbor has the survey? Can he do anything with a copy of from a surveyor?

 

[Aftermath]

My sister and I inherited a piece of property about 8 years ago after Dad died. Out property splits our neighbor's property in 2. Neighbor's are at war with each other over their properties. One is extremely shady.

Sister is selling her side, so we had the whole property surveyed so it could split. Im keeping mine due to timber value. I know people can get a copy of the survey/deed at the court house, however its come to light that my surveyor mailed a copy to the shitty neighbor. I am a little concerned, I have not questioned the surveyor yet about why or what he sent. Should I be concerned that the neighbor has the survey? Can he do anything with a copy of from a surveyor?

Sure he can. If the "new" lines differ in his favor...he may try to move a fence to the new line, taking a few feet of your property along that line. Discuss with an attorney. Where I am, if that existing property boundary has been the accepted line for 10 years or more, IT IS the line and can only be altered by agreement of both property owners.

 

[TurdFerguson]

Sure he can. If the "new" lines differ in his favor...he may try to move a fence to the new line, taking a few feet of your property along that line. Discuss with an attorney. Where I am, if that existing property boundary has been the accepted line for 10 years or more, IT IS the line and can only be altered by agreement of both property owners.

I walked the lines that he had put in, he used steel pins and it was correct. It followed the original fence line that goes from 92 all the way up to the national forest. Azimuths were correct from the US Forest Service Corners. I didn't find out he had a copy until after I had accepted it and sent the deed to the courthouse (4 or 5 weeks ago). Kinda freaks me out, and well pisses me off.

If my neighbor's keep fucking around, I'll timber the hell out of and donate the whole lot to the Mon National forest.

 

[GrantB]

From Louisiana so the laws will probably differ. Boundaries and restless titles get very complicated quickly. What you think the law says may differ greatly once you start really digging down. Get an attorney that specializes in this. I’ve been through this more than a couple times so I know first hand.

 

[GrantB]

The survivors work for you what they produce on your dime is yours only now what is filed at the courthouse is public.

 

[TurdFerguson]

From Louisiana so the laws will probably differ. Boundaries and restless titles get very complicated quickly. What you think the law says may differ greatly once you start really digging down. Get an attorney that specializes in this. I’ve been through this more than a couple times so I know first hand.

I am not sure what the game is or what is going on. Is it possible they think I am selling my half and trying to get an idea of what's there? I'm still sorting it out, neighbor won't contact me at all so I really have no idea what his plans are. Should I get a lawyer on retainer?

 

[Pre64]

He can’t do anything nefarious by just having your survey, i can go to the county clerk and request any plat of land in the county. I think they charge 75 cents to print it. I can also look up property lines on OnX, using GIS. Don’t sweat it.

 

[GrantB]

Way to complicated for interwebb advice. Have you been through succession yet, is the property actually divided between you and your sister or just 50% of the total, have you done a title search to see if anything is unsettled, do the actual boundaries align with your survey and what’s on the deed and agree with the neighbors deeds. The only thing you can do is worry about your stuff and determine if there’s and boundary issues and go from there. Again, get a good lawyer.

 

[GrantB]

He can’t do anything nefarious by just having your survey, i can go to the county clerk and request any plat of land in the county. I think they charge 75 cents to print it. I can also look up property lines on OnX, using GIS. Don’t sweat it.

No he can’t but you need to hold your cards close. If you find out something isn’t up to snuff it gives you time to get ahead of it before your neighbor does.

 

[GrantB]

You need to do a title search. Hardly anyone knows what’s really in the titles that may “run with the land” even from 100 years ago

 

[mtrmn]

Go get a plat of the neighbors property with a legal description. Compare that to yours. Make sure the info on the common border matches up.

 

[lonegunman762x51]

Yes, your neighbor is a creeper. Make sure you have deeded access to you land or you can reach it from a public right of way. Expect him to chop down every tree 15ft inside your property line or some shit like that. People suck.

 

[Hobo Hilton]

Your neighbors are playing some Psychological Warfare with you. Honestly, sounds like they are winning. Your sister caved in and lost.
Take a deep breath, step back, photo document every physical detail of the property... Like the guys on CSI do.
Mark trees along the boundary like the timber cruisers have done for 200 years. Mark your territory.
Surveyor's documentation, filed with the county is public info. He may have given it to your neighbor in an effort to defuse the issues.
Just sit on that timber. It gets more valuable every day.
Sit tight, be observant and just let your neighbor hang himself.

 

[Icallem]

Copy of the survey is open to the public.

Survey just puts the legal description on the ground, does not change property lines.

Different subject, but people think an easement is not legal until recorded, but it is legal when signed by Grantor, recording just makes it public.

 

[RPN]

The neighbor probably got up the surveyor when they were on the job, and to calm him down the surveyor possibly offered a copy- if they are as threatening as you suggest.

Have you asked your surveyor what the fuck he was doing giving a copy of a survey you paid for to anyone other than you? That would be my first stop.

 

[Two36]

I'd be asking the surveyor if he also sent him 50% of the bill. Since he sent the neighbor the info you paid for..

 

[Namekagon]

All a surveyor does is mark the boundary line according to the legal description, which is public info. The surveyor did nothing wrong by sending the neighbor a copy of the legal description.

Having the survey done just let’s everyone know where the lines are when it’s marked in the ground. If you walked his markings and are satisfied the lines are where you expected them to be, then all is well and you don’t have anything to fret over.

If the neighbor starts violating the marked boundaries, document trespassing and call the Sherriff.

 

[GrantB]

I do take issue with the surveyor giving a product that you paid for to someone else without your permission. The surveyor is using your description to place markers on the ground but that description may or may not agree with your neighbors description and or already placed monuments from past surveys or even observed boundaries like fences and who’s to say that your description is correct. You don’t know all these things and a survey only gives you one piece of the puzzle and if the surveyor gives your information to someone else they may be able to get ahead of you on something like filing a claim on a disputed boundary, if there’s any. The bottom line is you don’t know what you don’t know until you have all the pieces. Survey, title search on yours and neighboring property and an attorney will go a long way to getting a clear picture.

 

[rtB]

If you can find a spare horse head, send it to your neighbor. Maybe a road kill cat. Or maybe post pics of Dirty D's ladies on the trees along the border. I'm sure it's not illegal to do so. It's a gift. Maybe the two of you will end up sending rounds downrange on your newly created range. But I'm not a lawyer.

 

[Steel+Killer]

My brother's neighbor bought a small piece of property out in the country for hunting/recreational use but did not realize the access road going into it was actually going through the neighboring property. He went to go to it one day and the neighbor put up a gate with a no trespassing sign. Long story short he has a couple hundred acres he can only get to legally by helicopter. He even has a small tractor out there the neighbor won't let him get. He is in a legal battle trying to get access to his property. I get "do your homework" before you buy and all that, but I don't think it should be allowed for property to be sold to someone without having a legal easement to access it. If I were him I would make the neighbors life a living hell....There are ways...

 

[Bullfrog08]

I do take issue with the surveyor giving a product that you paid for to someone else without your permission. The surveyor is using your description to place markers on the ground but that description may or may not agree with your neighbors description and or already placed monuments from past surveys or even observed boundaries like fences and who’s to say that your description is correct. You don’t know all these things and a survey only gives you one piece of the puzzle and if the surveyor gives your information to someone else they may be able to get ahead of you on something like filing a claim on a disputed boundary, if there’s any. The bottom line is you don’t know what you don’t know until you have all the pieces. Survey, title search on yours and neighboring property and an attorney will go a long way to getting a clear picture.

Holy crap Grant.....it's a survey, not a picture of him sleeping with the neighbor's wife! You can get GIS maps online and get property descriptions from the county.

 

[GrantB]

It’s something you bought and paid for, if you want to give it to give it to your tard neighbor then by all means go ahead but the surveyor should not without your permission. So I guess if the surveyor published it in the local paper you would be ok with that too. There is a lot of stuff like mortgages, divorce filings and so on thats “public” but that doesn’t mean you want it spread around.