Found Pipe Versus Record Corner
During a boundary retracement of a 40-acre parcel, your crew finds a 1-inch galvanized iron pipe at the northwest corner. The 1978 record plat calls for a 1/2-inch iron pipe at that corner, and your computed deed position is 0.35 ft east and 0.20 ft north of the found pipe. The adjoiner's 1985 deed also calls to an iron pipe at the same corner, and an old fence intersects the pipe. The client, who is buying the parcel, insists the line be staked to the record bearing and distance because 'the pipe is probably a fence post.' You have a 1:5,000 topographic base and a copy of the plat, but no original field notes. The closing is in three days.
1. How do you evaluate the found pipe against the record calls?
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Treat the pipe as a potential original monument, not a fence post. Boundary evidence hierarchy places original monuments called for by the deed above bearing and distance. A called-for pipe found at a fence intersection and matching the adjoiner's deed is strong evidence. The 0.35-ft offset from your computed position is not automatically an error; 1970s pipe setting may have been less precise, and your deed computation carries its own uncertainty. Check the pipe diameter, material, cap, age, and whether it is set in original ground or a fence post. Tie it to other plat monuments and compare distances between found monuments to the plat. Check the fence line and possession. If the pipe is original, it controls. Do not move it.
2. What do you tell the client and what do you put on the stake?
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Tell the client that the record line is a computation, not the boundary, and that the found called-for monument is evidence of the original survey. You can stake the pipe and show the computed record position as a reference, but you cannot ignore the pipe to satisfy a closing date. If the client wants a record-line stake, set a temporary offset stake and label it clearly as a reference point, not a corner monument. Report the discrepancy to the PLS; the closing may need to be delayed or the title company notified. Do not set a new corner without authorization.
3. What field documentation is needed?
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Document the pipe description, including diameter, material, cap, and condition; ties to the fence, buildings, road, and other monuments; photos with a scale; the bearing base and magnetic reading; measured distances between monuments; comparison to the plat; a field sketch; date, crew, and instrument; the client's instructions; and a note that the pipe was not disturbed. Include the adjoiner's deed call. This creates a defensible record and supports the PLS's boundary determination.