FUNDAMENTALS OF oundary Surveying · ing field craft, and also loved to point out subtle flaws in...
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How Boundaries are Established W hen I started my surveying ca- reer, I was lucky to get as my first boss a man who loved sur- veying and who was also a natu- ral teacher. He was a man who took real delight in instructing newcomers in the ways of survey- ing field craft, and also loved to point out subtle flaws in legal de- scriptions for our examination. He was ambitious and expected his employees to be ambitious, too. Just as he took satisfaction in his own successes, he also enjoyed the suc- cesses of his crew members and let us know it. When he observed a defi- ciency in an employee’s knowledge, he took steps to improve the situation. After his own lectures and advice, his favorite source of information for rook- ie surveyors was books. Even though he was a man who had never been to col- lege, except to teach, he would proudly say he saw education as the best means of advancement. He told us neophytes to buy books and read them. And he wasn’t shy about telling us which ones to find and which ones to avoid. Favorite Books In my case, so that I could more quick- ly master the ways of the Public Land Sur- vey System and its Californian particulari- ties, he recommended books that are still two of my favorites, Ben Buckner’s reprint of Hodgman’s A Manual of Land Survey- ing, and Bud Uzes’ Chaining the Land. For me, they were illuminating books that introduced me to my newly chosen pro- fession, and had I not wound up in a BOOK REVIEW FUNDAMENTALS OF metes and bounds state on the East coast, I would have benefitted even more from read- ing and studying them. Fundamentals of Boundary Surveying is a book that perfectly fits the function of in- struction material for new entrants to the profession. It should greatly please my for- mer employer, because it neatly fills a gap in most existing classroom texts. Author Paul Gay’s stated purpose is to explain boundary surveying to people who are not surveyors but whose work utilizes sur- veys—planners, contractors, building offi- cials, real estate appraisers, and so on. In my opinion, the book is well-suited as a text for beginners and college students studying surveying. The book does have one notable omission: an explanation on the Public Land Survey System. But given this isolated deficiency, it is a re- markably thorough book. And really, with the exception of specialized rules for dealing with sectionalized land, boundary surveying is boundary sur- veying. Important Issues Fundamentals of Boundary Survey- ing starts with one of my favorite sub- jects: the duties, authorities and respon- sibilities of the boundary surveyor. The author wants his readers to understand that surveyors have an obligation to the public and that they function within a professional code of conduct. This sub- ject is often omitted—or not empha- sized enough—most modern surveying texts. He neatly explains how surveyors must locate boundaries in their true lo- cation regardless of the client’s wishes, B oundary S urveying Fundamentals of Boundary Surveying: How Boundaries Are Established Paul L. Gay, LS, Esq. Hardback, 107 Pages, $45.00 ISBN 0-9665120-3-0 Professional Surveyors Publishing Company 100 Tuscanny Drive Frederick, MD 21702 www.profsurv.com Patrick Toscano, LS DISPLAYED WITH PERMISSION • PROFESSIONAL SURVEYOR MAGAZINE • May 2003 • WWW.PROFSURV.COM • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Transcript of FUNDAMENTALS OF oundary Surveying · ing field craft, and also loved to point out subtle flaws in...
How Boundaries are Established
When I started my surveying ca-reer, I was lucky to get as myfirst boss a man who loved sur-veying and who was also a natu-ral teacher. He was a man whotook real delight in instructingnewcomers in the ways of survey-ing field craft, and also loved topoint out subtle flaws in legal de-scriptions for our examination. Hewas ambitious and expected hisemployees to be ambitious, too. Justas he took satisfaction in his ownsuccesses, he also enjoyed the suc-cesses of his crew members and letus know it. When he observed a defi-ciency in an employee’s knowledge,he took steps to improve the situation.After his own lectures and advice, hisfavorite source of information for rook-ie surveyors was books. Even though hewas a man who had never been to col-lege, except to teach, he would proudlysay he saw education as the best meansof advancement. He told us neophytes tobuy books and read them. And he wasn’tshy about telling us which ones to findand which ones to avoid.
Favorite BooksIn my case, so that I could more quick-
ly master the ways of the Public Land Sur-vey System and its Californian particulari-ties, he recommended books that are stilltwo of my favorites, Ben Buckner’s reprintof Hodgman’s A Manual of Land Survey-ing, and Bud Uzes’ Chaining the Land.For me, they were illuminating books thatintroduced me to my newly chosen pro-fession, and had I not wound up in a
BOOK RE VIE W
FUNDAMENTALS OF
metes and bounds state on the East coast, Iwould have benefitted even more from read-ing and studying them.
Fundamentals of Boundary Surveying is abook that perfectly fits the function of in-struction material for new entrants to theprofession. It should greatly please my for-mer employer, because it neatly fills a gapin most existing classroom texts. AuthorPaul Gay’s stated purpose is to explainboundary surveying to people who arenot surveyors but whose work utilizes sur-veys—planners, contractors, building offi-cials, real estate appraisers, and so on. Inmy opinion, the book is well-suited as atext for beginners and college studentsstudying surveying. The book does haveone notable omission: an explanationon the Public Land Survey System. Butgiven this isolated deficiency, it is a re-markably thorough book. And really,with the exception of specialized rulesfor dealing with sectionalized land,boundary surveying is boundary sur-veying.
Important IssuesFundamentals of Boundary Survey-
ing starts with one of my favorite sub-jects: the duties, authorities and respon-sibilities of the boundary surveyor. Theauthor wants his readers to understandthat surveyors have an obligation to thepublic and that they function within aprofessional code of conduct. This sub-ject is often omitted—or not empha-sized enough—most modern surveyingtexts. He neatly explains how surveyorsmust locate boundaries in their true lo-cation regardless of the client’s wishes,
Boundary Surveying
Fundamentals of Boundary Surveying: How Boundaries
Are Established
Paul L. Gay, LS, Esq.
Hardback, 107 Pages, $45.00ISBN 0-9665120-3-0
Professional Surveyors Publishing Company100 Tuscanny Drive
Frederick, MD 21702www.profsurv.com
Patrick Toscano, LS
DISPLAYED WITH PERMISSION • PROFESSIONAL SURVEYOR MAGAZINE • May 2003 • WWW.PROFSURV.COM • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
and that the public and the client are best served by the place-ment of permanent boundary monuments after the survey. Thevalue of monuments is consistently and correctly stressedthroughout the book. Gay goes on to explain that surveyors donot determine land ownership, but rather, physical limits toownership, often called title lines as well as boundary lines. Hishandling of these issues is practically worth the price of thebook alone. I already have plans for the use of this book as atool to educate some of the people I deal with.
In the chapter titled “Legal Concepts,” Gay does a good jobof explaining the use of bearings and units of measurement, aswell as the various Norths that are found on maps. In the chap-ter titled “Computations,” Gay explains the order of importanceof conflicting elements of writings. A somewhat amusing itemis his explanation of the wild deed which I have never beforeheard of. A wild deed is one filed out of sequence in the chainof title. The author informs us that wild deeds are to be disre-garded. That must be the practice in Massachusetts where Mr.Gay lives, but in Connecticut where I live, deeds out of se-quence are not uncommon. Indeed, there are several towns inthe state where the deeds are completely out of kilter for cer-tain finite time periods due to fires and other calamities. Keep-ing things straight in those towns is a valuable skill few seekto acquire.
The best parts of the book are the two chapters on researchand field work. They are well organized, flow from one elementto the next, and are a pleasure even for an “old hand” to read.I particularly liked the way the author explained how a “paper”description of the subject property is assembled from availablepublic records, and that one enters the field with a mental im-
PATRICK TOSCANO is the City Surveyor forNew Britain, Connecticut, and the BookReviewer for the magazine.
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age of the property and expectation of its physical limits. If, af-ter a reconnaissance of the property, the documentary evidencefits what is found on the ground, more research is undertaken.The writings are paramount, and they are the best description ofthe intention of the parties in the conveyance. Gay uses a finephrase to describe how called-for boundary markers are thepoints of intersection of the documents and the ground. One caneasily image a student reading this book wondering what is the“real” land—the public documents, or what is on the ground—and being enlightened (or confused by) the answer: both.
I was a little surprised to see that Fundamentals of Bound-ary Surveying contains no case studies or interesting examplesof problems encountered. A land planner reading it could easi-ly wonder “Why do these guys like surveying so much?” Whichisn’t to say that it does not have good explanations of the con-cepts described, it does, but the book lacks an expression of theenjoyment and satisfaction of being a land surveyor. Then again,Mr. Gay did not intend for the book to be a land surveyor re-cruitment publication, so perhaps his formal, all-business ap-proach is best. Fundamentals of Boundary Surveying will still bea handy book to have around the office or to hand to a youngsurveying student in college.
DISPLAYED WITH PERMISSION • PROFESSIONAL SURVEYOR MAGAZINE • May 2003 • WWW.PROFSURV.COM • ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
