Surveying 101 – Why Do Surveys Cost so Much? (and Take so Long?)

1. Surveying 101 – Why Do Surveys Cost so Much? (and Take so Long?) International Right of Way Association 55th International Education Conference Indianapolis, Indiana June 30, 2009

2. The U.S. Public Land Survey System

3. The U.S. Public Land Survey System

4. The U.S. Public Land Survey System

5. The U.S. Public Land Survey System

6. Public Land Survey Issues • Original monuments were often • wood posts, mounds, charcoal, stones, etc. • More often than not, these corners • were not very well perpetuated over time.

7. Section Corners Out of the +/-100,000 original corners in Indiana, how many are existent (i.e. properly perpetuated and referenced)? 15-20%? How many of those have state plane coordinates associated with their locations? 30% (5% of the total)?

8. Survey Control There is NO inherent relationship between the land fabric and “GPS.” Survey-grade accuracies cannot be achieved with the typical Wal-Mart purchased GPS. (Survey-grade accuracies require >$20,000 investment in equipment)

11. Section Corners Average cost to perpetuate a lost or obliterated corner in Indiana: $1000-2000 per corner

12. What impact does this lack of documented corners have? • Uncertain reference monuments • Conflicting reference monuments • Indeterminate reference • monuments = Higher Cost Surveys that take more time

13. “Sufficiency” A legal description is considered sufficient if a competent surveyor can locate it on the ground. Why might a description be insufficient?

14. Problems with Record Documents • Descriptions that do not close • Ambiguous or missing words • Multiple possible interpretations • Plats and deeds with errors • Descriptions that follow ill-defined or • undefined rights of way • Deed gaps and overlaps with adjoiners

15. Examples • Description miscloses by over 900 feet • “…Beginning at a stone near the corner of Kent’s barn (now gone)…” • Bounds descriptions that call for each other • “thence in the shape of a half-moon…”

16. Examples • Description miscloses by over 900 feet • “…Beginning at a stone near the corner of Kent’s barn (now gone)…” • Bounds descriptions that call for each other • “thence in the shape of a half-moon…” • “…Also, being described by survey, as follows:…” • An easement, 10 feet in width, adjoining and lying west of the right of way line…”

17. NE Cor. SE ¼ (Co. referenced monument fd.) Pipe fd. Centerline of Co.Rd. 173’d 172.57’m SE Cor. N ½ SE ¼ by split 2’ 2’ Pipe fd. 2’ 350’ D&M 350’ D&M Old fence Old fence 5’ ½ ¼ line iron pin fd. in C.L. Rd. at (1309’ S. of cor.) ½ ¼ line Beginning at an iron pin in the centerline of Road #300 W that is 1309 feet south of the NE corner of the SE 1/4 of Section 10-23-5; thence west on the fence line of the south half of said Section 10-23-5 a distance of 350 feet to an iron pipe; thence north and parallel to the east line of said Section 10-23-5 a distance of 173 feet to an iron pipe; thence east and parallel to the 1/4 Section line of Section 10 a distance of 350 feet to an iron pin in the center of Road #300 W and the east section line of 10-23-5; thence south on centerline of said road 300 W a distance of 173 feet to the place of beginning, containing 1.38 + or - acres ¼ line SE Cor. SE ¼ (Co. referenced monument fd.)

18. The Schneider Corporation Gary R. Kent Director, Integrated Services phone 317/826-7134 fax 317/826-7110 gkent@schneidercorp.com The Schneider Corporation Historic Fort Harrison8901 Otis AvenueIndianapolis, IN 46216Phone - 317.826.7100Fax - 317.826.7200contact@schneidercorp.com