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Solo Notes: Don’t Forget to Look Backward
Questioning
long-held sacred principles and practice is considered by some surveyors to be
a form of blasphemy.
Unmistakable Marks: Knowledge in the Face of Adversity, Part 2
Last
month, we began a discussion on gathering evidence relating to adverse
possession.Last
month, we began a discussion on gathering evidence relating to adverse
possession.
Traversing the Law: Requiem for the First Surveyor Concept
Can
you hear the mournful peal of the distant bell? For whom does the bell toll? It
is the death knell of the first surveyor concept--an arbitrary rule of
surveying too oft extolled.
Surveying GIS: How Would a National Cadastre Work?
In
my last column, I explored the perceived need for a national parcel database.
Editor’s Points: Accomplishing More by Working Together
Put
people in a crisis situation, and one of two things usually
happens: Either they fall apart and become helpless, or they find skills they
didn’t know they had and figure out innovative ways to work collaboratively
with others to overcome the hardship.
Editor’s points: A tale of two professions.
It
was the best of times to be a surveyor, it was the worst of times to be a
surveyor …
The Technology Benchmark: Instrumental systems for the future.
When we are surrounded by advanced technology
that can do a myriad of tasks, it’s easy to
underestimate the value provided by humans.
On the level: Breaking down the silos.
There
has been much discussion in the last few months about the move by the NSPS, a
member organization (MO) of the ACSM, to establish a committee to study the
financial and membership impacts of separation from ACSM.
Professional Topography: Why can’t Johnny pass the exam?
Professional
licensed land surveyors are an aging lot throughout the United States, with
probably more than half of them older than 60.
Unmistakable marks: Knowledge in the face of adversity, part 1
The
discovery of evidence of apparent possession of lands not included in the
written legal description of the possessor is a familiar occurrence for most
surveyors.
Traversing the law: It was a simple plan.
The
plan was that the federal government would presurvey the land into rectangular
lots and blocks, create maps that depict the surveys and issue patents with
unique descriptions whereby no two lots could ever be confused.
Editor’s Points: Where do you fit in?
Lately it seems as if many of the trends and technologies in the surveying and mapping professions are converging.
Surveying GIS: The national cadastre.
Geographic
information systems have been a source of controversy since they exploded into
the world of land surveying more than a decade ago.
Traversing the Law: Math isn’t the answer; it’s the problem.
The
epitaph on the tombstone of the land surveying profession will read: “Here lies
the land surveying profession. No two surveyors could ever agree on a corner.”
Editor’s Points: The value of community.
When
I first stepped into the role of POB’s editor nearly two years ago, I made a
point of introducing myself on POB’s popular bulletin board for land surveyors,
RPLS.com.
Traversing the Law: How to read a deed.
I’m
primarily referring to the descriptive part of the deed, often called the legal
description. The proof of this statement lies in the fact that too many
surveyors treat the boundary problem as a math problem rather than a legal
problem.
Safety Sense: OSHA goes on the offensive.
In
my October 2009 column (“Watch out for
the new OSHA”), I addressed a bill that had the potential to drastically increase
the OSHA penalty structure if passed by Congress.
On the level: Six rules for boundary disputes.
According
to Black’s, “Title is the means whereby the owner of lands has the just
possession of his property. The union of all the elements which constitute
ownership.”1 These elements may be described as proof and quality of claim,
which is the attorney’s area of expertise, and location and quantity of claim,
the surveyor’s area of expertise.
Opinion: Good contracts make for good clients.
It
identifies the contracting parties, describes the tasks to be performed and
establishes a framework for legal guidance. The contract is a basic element of
business, and its principal function is to provide clarity in the event of a
dispute.
Association Update: MAPPS members seek to prosper in a troubled economy.
With the economy still sputtering and job creation lagging, new technologies, emerging markets and legislation have been the focus of MAPPS in 2010.