California Surveyors Forums

The subject of adding notes after everyone has signed a map (Tract Map, Parcel Map) has me wondering about the following:
One of the cities I check maps for has a new counsel who claims no one can sign a map until he has looked it over and the council has approved it.
To me that means the owner(s) has(ve) not consented, it has not been certified technically correct by a qualified professional, nor has it been certified as meeting the requirements of the approved or conditionally approved tentative, and all the other signatures designating it meets lawful requirements.
I don't know where he gets his authority to make such a claim.

That means he wants to justify his fees. That is called legal extortion.

Have him contact his counter-parts in other jurisdictions, that should straighten him out.

I suggest introducing the idea of template statements for maps in this City. Offers of dedication, the structure of the City Council statement etc. and ask the attorney to be involved. Other than Partnership/LLC shenanigans, that is probably his concern. Maybe get some constructive changes made that might need being made and then going forward it is easier on everyone.

At the agency I previously worked for, there was so much pressure from the developers to get the maps to Council that the maps were never signed by the time it was approved by Council. Signatures and minor (sometimes not so minor) changes all happened after Council approval, with Council's blessing. With a four-week lead time for Council items, most developers don't want to wait that long once everything is ready to go, so there is a benefit to continuing to process the map concurrently with routing of the Council agenda item. We had one map that didn't record until a year after Council approval because subdivider didn't submit the signed map and bonds. That one made me nervous, but it all worked out in the end.. As long as the legislative body is fine with not seeing the final signed version in the Council packet, then I don't see the problem. Your agency's legal counsel is your best friend and you don't want to get on their bad side. Maybe he has no legal authority on this matter, but he may have been burned previously and doesn't want that to happen again. There's a separate thread occurring about adding a signature block after the map was signed. The thread didn't say whose signature was missing. Would the legal counsel's eyes on the map have prevented that situation?

It also happens on Record of Surveys. When a licensed land surveyor reviews and requests a mylar, then the signing surveyor reviews and makes their comments. It's called ones style, and/or government employees scared to do whats right (or they don't know better).
Unnecessary revisions drive me crazy just to make the map checker happy, and maybe justify their time while charging the developer.
I love when they request a reference, and when shown don't acknowledge what is already noted on the map, or printed in the codes.