Anyone a local surveyor in SoCal?

Cdnone1 · 05-18-2017, 11:05 AM

I am having a little property line dispute on my place up in Big Bear. My new neighbors cut down my wooden fence to put up a nice shinny new plastic fence. The fence company claims that the neighbor said the fence was theirs, etc, etc. Long story short I think I have a plastic fence on my property that I would like to remove and have the fencing company install a new wooden fence for the one they cut down.
The only way this is going to happen is to have the property legally and professionally surveyed. There are presently no surveyor living in Big Bear so I have to bring one up the hill. This got me thinking; is there a professional surveyor that is interested in exchanging their services for some vacation time at my place?
You can IM me or reply here if interested.
Here is a picture of the place. Thanks and let me know

Jims5543 · 05-18-2017, 01:42 PM

I am about as far away from you as possible. LOL!!

Wish I was closer and licensed in your state I would jump all over this.

Since this could possibly turn into a legal battle (the lawyers will always win) I cannot even begin to think about it. I did toy with flying in equipped with a laptop, equipment etc.. and make it a working vacation. Mostly because it is a crazy idea and I like those ideas.

I would like a change of scenery, although mine is not so bad.

Evans, Marv · 05-18-2017, 04:30 PM

Probably quicker and easier to just find one locally. Plus a local surveyor would be familiar with the locale. I don't think it would cost more than a few hundred dollars to establish the property line. I needed a site map made about eight years ago, and it cost $400 at the time.

drcoastline · 05-18-2017, 04:43 PM

cdnone1,

Nice cabin. You may want to check with the municipality. Most require a permit to erect a fence. In my area a survey is required as part of the permitting process. you will find out one of two things.

1. No permit which means the fence was erected illegally.
2. Permit and a survey.

Good luck.

Jim Richards · 05-18-2017, 05:31 PM

We, in SoCal, can legally put up a fence of a certain height or less without the need for a permit.

john70t · 05-18-2017, 06:05 PM

Don't the banks require them for mortgages?
Or title company?
Or county records?
Hopefully there is one already one floating around, but with this situation it might have to be 'fresh'?

The beauty of that wooden fence probably matched the beauty of your house.
Sorry you have to co-exist with cretins that rightfully shouldn't.

SCadaddle · 05-18-2017, 07:21 PM

Unfortunately, I'm not licensed to Practice Land Surveying in the State of California, but I do like the video that the California BLM produced. It's quite typical. Give me some time to gather my suggestions and I'll give you my take on the solution.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlSO0BReXBE

nota · 08:38 PM

near the corner or end of the fence there should be a pipe to mark the property line/corner
most fences are with in a foot of the property lines
typically a 1 to 2'' iron pipe or spike is very eazy to find with a metal detector
unless they set the fence post on or knocked out the point [far too often]
10 min with a shovel will find most points even without a metal detector
and it should be eazy to see what side of the pipe the fence is on

your deed or legal description/plat or survey should have the distance between property corners
and a cheap GPS will locate with a bit of math any missing corners if you can find one or two existing corners

look 171 · 05-18-2017, 09:51 PM

I been down this road trying to help a few clients of our.

Even if you find the marker, what makes you think it will hold up to anything with those neighbors? They are sihtty to begin with, so they will just blow you off. Get a lic surveyor and and go from there.

SCadaddle · 05-18-2017, 10:50 PM

I cringe when I see those in other professions or trades attempt to set the fees of my profession as a Professional Land Surveyor.

What's the price to have an attorney settle an estate or a divorce?
What's the price to fix your chest pains?
What's the price to fix that knocking sound in your engine?

So here is some advice for your situation:

The old "Down and Dirty": Go buy a handful of wooden stakes, a black marker and some plastic flagging. YOU get to pick the color of the flagging. When your neighbor is away, set the stakes in a line 10' or more on HIS side of the problem property line for the length of the line. Flag them up well and write "Property Line" on the stakes. Rest assured when he sees that he WILL flip out and knock on your door. Tell him you had the "line" surveyed and those stakes are the result. If he doesn't agree that it is correct he is welcome to......hire his own Surveyor to determine the boundary.....at his cost.

Otherwise, a more realistic approach would be to try and find the copy of YOUR survey of YOUR property----you did get one didn't you, or did you rely on the Realtor to tell you where the property corners were when you bought the place?---and try to contact YOUR Surveyor to see if his outfit can come out and "freshen up" your corners. He is at an advantage to other Surveyors because he has solved the puzzle in the past and more then likely still has his data to verify and or restore any missing corners. Didn't get a Survey? Try and find the monuments at the property corners and points where the line changes direction between the corners if the case may be with a shovel. A metal detector will help but "treasure finders" that reject ferrous iron won't be of much help because chances are you are looking for a piece of rebar in the ground. More than likely, once you start finding the corners, er, monuments, I would be willing to bet California is a "cap" State that requires the Surveyor ID the monuments he has set in the ground with some type of monument "cap'. Could be as simple as a colored plastic cap on top of the rebar. This is what you are looking for. A name or Registration number on the cap itself. That will lead you to search the Board of Registration "Registry" to find your guy, that might be willing to give you his professional opinion on the location of the boundaries at 30 cents on the dollar compared to Electricians and 20 cents on the dollar when compared to plumbers.

Good Luck!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zx7ge8YPYE8

MBAtarga · 05-19-2017, 04:42 AM

I used my county's on-line GIS data with aerial views and my inexpensive metal detector to find my survey pins for our 3+ acres.

Danimal16 · 05-19-2017, 05:41 AM

The other issue is prescription. If you do not act AND notify him in writing of an encroachment; after a period of time he can prescript the right to your land and you are out of luck.

I think the time is 5 years. In our water district we found this all the time on easements. Fortunately for us a private party cannot prescript a right against an government utility.

I recall the guy who built a garage and driveway over a 24 inch force main. He damaged it. Not a pretty picture.

You need to act and you may need to talk to an attorney.

BeyGon · 05-19-2017, 06:16 AM

You already know it's going to be a problem so just call one of the local companies and bite the bullet. Get them to come out and mark your property, then you will know what you can do. IF you need to go to court you will have to have a survey anyway. With GPS this shouldn't be a huge job. If they find corners you will be lucky, if they have to set them and file a map it will cost, but you need to do it.

nota · 05-19-2017, 07:48 AM

I still would look for the corner points first before contacting a surveyor
as if you find the new fence is correctly placed you do not need to spend money in a lost cause
or if his new fence is on your land you have a solid case and can proceed with confidence in a win

BeyGon · 05-19-2017, 07:53 AM

without a survey from a licensed surveyor how do you know that those corners you find are correct and if you go to court without a survey you have nothing.

Cdnone1 · 05-19-2017, 08:08 AM

Thanks for all of the responses.
If I'm going to go forward against the neighbor and fencing company I'm going to have to have it done by a licensed surveyor, though I really like the idea of putting in my own stakes and saying I had it surveyed.
The new neighbors bought the place, cut down my fence, installed the hideous thing and have only used their place a couple of time since so it could take them years to find the stakes.
I really just want to find out where my legal property lines are which is why I would like to get it surveyed. But the problem is there are no licensed surveyor in Big Bear, even though they advertise in Big Bear they are located "down the hill" and bill you travel, accommodations etc.

This is why I was hoping there was a licensed surveyor who would be interested in surveying my property in exchange for using the place for a vacation. The place is a mile from the golf course, a mile from the lake and butts against the Nation Forest for hiking.

I'll post or E-mail some more pictures if anyone is interested

nota · 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeyGon

without a survey from a licensed surveyor how do you know that those corners you find are correct and if you go to court without a survey you have nothing.

I would only try to find the property corners first to decide if the case is worth
spending funds on a survey NOT IN PLACE OF A SURVEY esp if courts are in the picture
and would not proceed without a survey if he can determine the fence is on his land
beyond a simple talk and point at the property corner with the fence owner/builder
but save spending on a lost cause if the fence is not on his land

looking on google maps the area is a city with paved roads and small normal size lots
if he is in fact in the city and not out in the boonies
as most citys are platted not just fractionally divided
so simpler to understand a 100x100 lot vs a nw1/4 of a ne1/4 section of raw land

Evans, Marv · 05-19-2017, 08:47 AM

Our area has a local Facebook page where everyone chimes in on local happenings. People are also allowed to advertise services occasionally, and people are always asking for references for services on it. If Big Bear has a similar Facebook page, you could go on it and ask about a local surveyor.

icemann427 · 05-19-2017, 09:03 AM

What Marv said may be very worthwhile. While there may not be a survey company in Big Bear, there may be a surveyor who lives up there who works for a company down in San Berdoo. With that being said, as was said earlier, you may want to look for the corner monuments on your own prior to engaging the work. If that works out to be fruitless, a surveying company down the hill should be able to drive up, find the corners, and be back in their office by about lunch time. With the new technology that the firms are using these days, it does not take very long to do the work.

dad911 · 05-19-2017, 09:34 AM

Around here, county has many deeds on file, along with property descriptions.

You could see if on file with local govt. or tax assessor. If they don't your individual lot, there should be a subdivision plot plan. Your surveyor would need this info anyway.

Sure you didn't get a survey when you bought? Could it be part of title search?

Try this? https://www.sbcounty.gov/assessor/pims/