The Plat That Skips a Step
A surveyor is asked to prepare a subdivision plat for a 20-acre tract into 8 lots. The surveyor prepares the plat showing lot lines, dimensions, and a vicinity map. The surveyor does not show the floodplain, does not include a drainage plan, and does not show the location of an existing 12-inch water main that crosses two of the proposed lots. The surveyor submits the plat to the county for approval. The county planning office returns it with comments requiring floodplain identification, a drainage analysis, and utility easement information. The client is upset about the delay and asks the surveyor to 'just resubmit it and see if they catch it again.'
1. Identify the deficiencies in the plat and the professional obligations the surveyor has in preparing a subdivision plat.
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The plat is deficient because it omits required information: floodplain identification, drainage analysis, and existing utility locations/easements. A subdivision plat must accurately depict existing conditions and provide the information required by the jurisdiction's subdivision regulations so that lots can be developed safely and legally. The surveyor has a professional obligation to prepare a complete and accurate plat, not a minimal one, and to comply with applicable regulations. The surveyor should obtain the county's checklist, gather the missing information (floodplain map, drainage study, utility records or field location), and revise the plat. Omitting known features such as the water main misrepresents the site and could mislead buyers and the county.
2. The client asks the surveyor to resubmit without corrections. What should the surveyor do?
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The surveyor should refuse to resubmit a knowingly deficient plat. Resubmitting in hopes the county will not notice is an attempt to circumvent the review process and misrepresents the survey. The surveyor should explain the deficiencies to the client, the reasons the county requires the information, and the risk of approval being revoked or of future liability. The surveyor should correct the plat and resubmit. If the client insists on the deficient submission, the surveyor should decline and consider whether to continue the engagement, because signing and submitting a plat the surveyor knows is incomplete would violate the surveyor's ethical and professional obligations.