California Surveyors Forums

I wrote an article that will be coming out in the August issue of The American Surveyor Magazine. Upon rereading it, it makes me wonder if I am a throwback. Does anyone have any thoughts about protecting and preserving the profession? Have we, as a profession, thrown the proverbial towel in?

Mike, thanks again for your contribution to the profession. If I were starting out again I think I would combine my surveying background with law and practice land use law and or land planning. I think that is where the surveying background is going to be useful in the information age we now live in where the general relationship of ownership to the ground is a click away in many instances.
Have a nice weekend, Jp

As we get older we see ourselves and our peers sticking to the old ways we know. We shun the new technology as we get closer to retirement (which many should have done a long time ago). I am encouraged when I look at the enthusiastic young technicians who will be our next generation of Land Surveyors. They have fully embraced the new technologies of GPS, GIS, robotics, lidar and drone systems. They incorporate it seamlessly with high quality mapping in 2D and 3D. It is important that we take the time to mentor them and relay our knowledge of the timeless skills associated with boundary control, writing legal descriptions and other traditional surveying tasks that are typically learned in the field and office environments. Do not despair. The future is bright!

Mike and I became licensed in the same year - 1980. Not all of us shun the newer technology. In fact, we strive to remain cognizant that more efficient means of measuring, collecting, and portraying data is still merely retracement. What is key is matching the intent of what previous landowners were doing in subdividing, transferring interests, and the myriad of development related issues.

I'm encouraged at the capability of younger surveyors to advance their skill sets through use of forums such as this one, and the integration of work product with other professionals in digital format. I do not miss (much) the ammonia fumes from the old blueprint room, or the dusty smell of old linen maps in file drawers.

There is nothing more intoxicating than the smell of a field book that hasn't been opened in 100 years!

Any thoughts on signing and stamping documents?

Always. Even if it is "preliminary". It shows you care about your work.

Right - and are not having staff prepare preliminary work for submittal without running it by you for review ...

Great points both! As long as everyone knows who is in responsible charge and the documents are identified as "preliminary" all should be well. As you folks may know I had this problem for many many years in San Diego. In one contentious matter, I prepared an Encroachment Agreement and after I submitted it, the client wanted to change things around. She went to the city of San Diego and told her what she wanted added and also removed. The city told her she could make as many changes as she wanted and they also told her she could remove my stamp as it was not required.

She did - she erased my stamped and radically changed the document. And, of course, my company name was still on the document as that is how the city accepts such documents!

It created a lot of legal problems for me. I could not believe the city told her she could do that. Needless to say, I never knew until the deed had been done. I filed several complaints with the city and the board but nothing was done. In fact, I raised these concerns over a period of ten years, repeatedly, before I got an answer.

I went through 1500 of these and of these, 85% were unsigned and unstamped, and most were prepared by larger firms. Take a look at some, attached hereto.

“A true professional not only follows but loves the processes, policies and principles set by his profession.”

― Amit Kalantri, Wealth of Words

6 years to issue that waste of paper - ROTFLMAO

Each time I sit in conference rooms with attorneys and title officers discussing title defects, quiet title actions, boundary disputes, etc., I am reminded that the profession is not dying out.

On the other hand, the ALTA surveys I see are usually garbage, certified garbage to be exact. My latest ALTA quote, which included record of survey and UAV flight data incorporation, was beat out by a firm 75 miles away willing to do the job for less than half of my quote. Good luck with that.