Finding property lines

[dmccarty]

bones1,

If you have trees maybe 6 inche or larger you can look for slashes in the bark. In NC the surveyor will but two horizontal slashes on the tree facing the property line. Near a corner they put in three slashes.

Eddies comments about the flagging are well founded. Look near the property lines tied to smaller trees and bushes. I can find flagging that was put up years ago but its torn and faded. Also you can look on the ground. The flagging will be near the lines.

My survey stakes are pipes driven into the ground. They have 2-3 inches exposed. The stakes in the subdivision I used to live in where driven below grade.

Later,
Dan

 

[Mosby]

I'll take a stab at the BRL. I have seen BSL and BRL. Building restriction line and building setback line. Just a thought on your distances is that is always between 2 points and not necessarily the entire property line as we view it. This can be especially evident when it is following a road etc... I think we have had one, four point lot. I don't mind the big turns, it is the ever so minor ones that have caused me issues to figure out.

 

[meledward23]

With the OT arkansas comment I has to throw in a funny (in my book it's a funny). I was looking for land/house near where I live now. I foiund an old 1930's 1000sqft house on 6 acres. The land goes for about 75k an acre. They wanted 400k for the land. The agent says, well they really are only charging for the land the hosue is free. I was good with that, then when I asked in general where is the property line, he had no idea. Plot, nope.... Site map, nope..... The only thing the realtor knew for certain was that the house and driveway were on the six acres.

I just found it funny. The real value is in the land. Where is the land? I have no idea.

Needless to say, I moved on...

(I am sure this is comlpetely worthless to the current discussion. Sorry, sometimes one just has to share).

 

[Lovecruzin]

I got a problem.....I have owned 4 acres for 30 some years and the property on both sides are very well defined by double tree line ( one row mine, trees are over 80 years old, and the other row neighbors). All of a sudden a doctor is developing the land next to us and says that some of my trees are on his property.......and wants to cut them down because hes building a retaining wall up to the property line. My question is....after all these years that has been a clear mark for the property line and now all of a sudden they are saying that its moved about 2 feet or more.......even if....and thats a big if.....if hes right, only some of the trees have encroached upon his land by about 2 to 3 'inches'........does he have the right to cut down the rest of the trees?????? These are beautiful pine trees and are over 150 feet tall and we dont want them cut down......We also live in Pennsylvania....so I dont know what laws are. Years ago it was surveyed and property line was down middle of trees, now their surveyor says it moved 2 ft.......

 

[dodge man]

Wow, a three year old thread got reborn.

Lovecruzin, to answer your question do you have a copy of the old survey of your place? Ask the neighbor to show you the new pins and a copy of the new survey. Be nice about it, people can get very upset over boundary issues, so don't get emotional. If he has had a survey done and you don't agree with it, the only thing you can do is get a new survey done at your expense. If it turns out the trees are on his land, he can cut them down. If they happen to be on the line, that gets complicated and may depend on your states law, but they are usually co-owned and he can't cut them down unless you agree.

I am a land surveyor in Illinois so I have alot of experience in dealing with people who think they know where the boundaries are. I'm not trying to insult you, but are you sure you know where the boundary is? Can you find the old markers? The reason I ask this I have run into alot of people who swear they know exactly where the boundary is, but when pressed on the issue they really don't. Its usually based on a vague recollection. I would advise you not to contact a lawyer until you know where the boundary is and have determined that there is a difference in two different surveys, or if the neighbor didn't even get his ground surveyed and is just trying to railroad you. If you think a survey costs alot of money, taking someone to court gets really expensive. I have heard $10,000 as the STARTING amount to get a boundary dispute resolved in court. In other words try to work it out with the neighbor.

Good luck with the boundary problem.

 

[LBrown59]

I got a problem.....I have owned 4 acres for 30 some years and the property on both sides are very well defined by double tree line ( one row mine, trees are over 80 years old, and the other row neighbors). All of a sudden a doctor is developing the land next to us and says that some of my trees are on his property.......and wants to cut them down because hes building a retaining wall up to the property line. My question is....after all these years that has been a clear mark for the property line and now all of a sudden they are saying that its moved about 2 feet or more.......even if....and thats a big if.....if hes right, only some of the trees have encroached upon his land by about 2 to 3 'inches'........does he have the right to cut down the rest of the trees?????? These are beautiful pine trees and are over 150 feet tall and we dont want them cut down......We also live in Pennsylvania....so I dont know what laws are. Years ago it was surveyed and property line was down middle of trees, now their surveyor says it moved 2 ft.......

Why does it automatically follow that this suveyor is rite and your surveyor is wrong >> >>> ????????

 

[Lovecruzin]

Even if what he says is true, 99% of the trees are on the line with 95% of the trees on my property.......hows hes going to build a 4 ft retaining wall on the line, and without getting on my property. The archetic says that some of the retaining wall would have to be on our property and that we will have to sit down and negotiate........

 

[dodge man]

LBrown it doesn't. Sometimes for various reasons, surveyors don't agree. Surveys can get really complicated and we don't always agree with each other. I know I always try to work with other surveyors and try to reach some kind of common ground and not have a gap or overlap in the boundary. My opinion is that it makes surveyors look bad if we don't come up with the same boundary, but sometimes it happens.

 

[zeuspaul]

Lovecruzin

Do you have the legal description of the property? As Dodge Man indicated do you have the survey showing the trees in relation to the property line? Is the line between the trees monumented? Did the surveyor find old monuments or did he set new ones?

Do your building codes allow structures at the property line or is there a set back requirement?

Zeuspaul

 

[dodge man]

It sounds like they know some of the trees are yours or on the line. It also sounds like the want an easement for putting a retaining wall on your land. If they want to sit down and talk I would. You need to decide how much compensation you want to let them do that kind of work. In other words, how much money do you want.