California Surveyors Forums

I have been asked by a landlord out of the area to provide professional services for describing an easement for support of a cell tower or bill board on the vacant site.

I say vacant because the landlord described it as vacant and I have observed the old house as being boarded up.

This site is in a very run-down neighborhood in a large inner-city.

I noticed there were very expensive cars parked in the driveway, unlike the other vehicles in the block. Then I noticed from a distance that there is a separate garage in the back yard with a tent over the entrance to it. There were voices in there and the sound of some kind of furnace-like or heating or cooking operation going on. I did not smell anything.

Maybe I am letting my imagination run wild from seeing too many episodes of "Breaking Bad" last season.

I think the work could be completed without getting close to that garage back there.

Am I obligated to report any of these observations to the owner ?

Obligated? I don't think so.

I would report what I saw out there as a gesture from one homeowner to another, just to let him know. I would not make any assumptions in the report though. I had some squatters on my property before and it wasn't fun. If the owner thinks it's vacant and I observed cars parked and heard people there, then I would definitely let them know.

The landlord described it as vacant - It's not. You have to inform him of that so you don't disturb any legal tenets, or even worse for you illegal tenets. I have been accosted my many a cattle owner leasing grazing rights that was not informed by the land owner the property was being surveyed.

Am I obligated to report any of these observations to the owner ?

NO. You are a Land Surveyor, not a property management person.

Do your job then get the hell outta Dodge

LS 4722, thanks for the reminder to be safe above all other considerations.

Am now counting my lucky stars for introduction of reflectorless edms into our industry. Should be able to make this a remote survey from center of cul-de-sac to the top of tower that sits behind the house.

In my opinion, you are a citizen first and foremost. I would call the police regardless of what I was doing and who I was doing it for. As an FYI, I have a contract provision requiring the client to assure the site is safe.

Call the cops and wait a week.

:)

mpallamary wrote:In my opinion, you are a citizen first and foremost. I would call the police regardless of what I was doing and who I was doing it for. As an FYI, I have a contract provision requiring the client to assure the site is safe.

Call the cops and wait a week.

:)

And what if he does call the cops and it turns out the owners cousins are inside building a new type of BBQ..

I got the usual reaction from the locals when just getting out of the truck with the Caltrans-type shiny vest and clipboard. Those same very worried looks on the faces of people (actually worried eyes for the women who wear the face veils there) who are trying to create a life for themselves here, and know they are on thin ice without the legal documentation.
They are raising their kids there and willing to put up with whatever activity is happening in what has become their neighborhood. I say "their" neighborhood since no one else wants to live in that area. They certainly do not want any officials or authorities showing up in that block that would terminate their stay here in this country.
These people do all the work that others here don't want to do, and without getting political here, I am reluctant to make that one phone call that could upset a lot of people's lives. They deserve a break on Christmas.

I'm with Land Butcher on this one.

I am with the Butcher on this one. No one else needs to know.

I agree that safety is an issue and something doesn't sound right. Since the land loard is out of the area, I do believe I would inform him/her what I observed and let them make the call on what to do. If they are that concerned, they may make a trip out to investigate their property for themselves.

I encountered a similar situation where someone was squatting in an old tent trailer on a property here in Escondido. The trailer was left open, and I saw various signs of drug use.

I just let the owner know what I saw. The next week the trailer was gone. No big deal.

You don't need to tell him that there may be a meth lab on the property. Just tell him it appears there were some folks on site and you thought it was vacant. If it's the owner conducting illicit activities, he will just tell you that he is aware of the people and not to worry about it. If he is unaware, he will be glad you brought it up.

Just my 2 cents.

Turned out this was a case of "squatting" on vacant site to do other than drug manufacture.

The guys in the garage turned out to be welding and cutting up stolen vehicles. Not by my hand or doing but they are now gone, and survey done.

Thanks for everyone's input !

Wow! Sounds like you weren't "letting your imagination run wild" after all. Glad you took some action.

And thankfully, no one was hurt. I am a bit of a boy scout on this stuff. I am always reminded that my children and grandchildren are out there and that bad things happen when good people do nothing.