🚀 go-pugleaf

: nospam@nospam.org wrote:

: : Speaking of which, is it unusual to get land surveyed before you
: : buy it?  The sellers seem to think we're nuts to get it surveyed.
: : The fences are old and fallen down and no one seems too worried
: : about where the exact boundaries are (a good thing, I think).
: : But we want to know exactly what we're getting too.

In misc.rural Bryan Hinkle <bluenote@netcom.com> wrote:
:      Nope you're not nuts to get it surveyed ,I'm going through crap 
: uncovered by a survey of a 40 acre parcel that would have never been
: uncovered without said survey. As far as pump tests go have one of at least

Surveys of rural property in Santa Cruz county are not usually done for an
ordinary purchase.  They are a very good idea, but often very expensive.
The cost of the survey will very much depend upon what other surveys have
been done in the area.  The more recently land has been subdivided in your
area the more likely that there will be useable recent surveys that will
significantly reduce the cost of surveying your proposed purchase.  It is,
unfortunately, not that shocking for a survey to cost more than $10,000
for rural lands in Santa Cruz county.  

I would recommend finding out what it would cost to survey.  If you cannot
afford the cost of a survey but intend to purchase the property there is
something you can do that might be useful. Contact the neighboring
property owners and ask them to show you what THEY believe is the property
line.  Walk the line as best you are able and flag it (with that colored
plastic tape) as you walk.  If you find the neighbors are easily agreeable
to this then it is likely that they are comfortable with their
understanding of the property line.  If you are all in agreement you can
set permanent posts representing the line.  Its NOT a substitute for a
survey.  It STILL has some degree of risk.  But it MIGHT be a practicable
solution if the survey costs are prohibitive.  Balance the cost of the
property against the cost of the survey and what you can afford to lose. 

Find out if a survey of the line you have flagged will cost less than a
survey of your boundaries.  Spend a little money consulting with an
experience real property attorney about whether an "agreed boundary" deed
will be more cost effective than a full blown survey (and will the
neighbors agree to it).  If the neighbors are nervous about committing to
the property line then I would be nervous about buying the property
without a survey.  If they are not willing to commit to their
understanding of the property line then you just have a future dispute
waiting to happen.

Please DON'T take my word for it.  If the idea is interesting to you then
do some research, and get a professional opinion from someone whose
credentials you can check, and who you can hold to professional standards. 
My advice is worth every cent that you paid for it.

Diane Blackman  
diane@dog-play.com   http://www.dog-play.com
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