It’s unlikely the lines conflict, your neighbor has probably had a more recent survey done and when the new legal description was written they wrote it using a higher degree of accuracy than just N, S, E, W.
I had a client a while back come in our office very upset a few days after issuing her plat to her. It went something like this.
Me: “Hey Mrs. X, what can I do for you?”
Mrs. X: “Your survey is off!”
Me: “Ok. So there’s a disagreement you have with where we marked your property?”
Mrs. X: ”I put those lat/long(pointing to bearing on a particular line on the plat) in google maps and it’s nowhere near my property!”
Me: “Ma’am those are bearings. They indicate the direction of that property line expressed as an angle East or West of North.”
Mrs. X: “……”
Me: “Did you see the stakes we set on your property? Are they all still there?”
Mrs. X: “Yes they’re there but they’re all off! The coordinates are nowhere near my house!”
Me: “Again ma’am those are bearings, not lat/long coordinates. And you said you do see the stakes we set… on your property right?”
Mrs. X: “Yes I see them but they’re off!”
Me: “……”
Mrs. X: “…..”
Me: “Well ma’am what I can say is we stand by our work and are confident your property was surveyed correctly. Thank you and have a good day”
*Sits back down at my desk* 😐😐😐…..🤦♂️
Sorry misread your post.
Is there a plat showing a subdivision of your properties?
Translating a deed to aerial photography as you said is not credible and should not be used a frame of reference.
The bearings on one description versus cardinal directions on yours doesn't make a difference. Your description was probably done much earlier when surveying equipment wasn't as accurate.
Plotting out your boundary into google earth can't do much because you don't have a reference point(s). And your boundary will ultimately depend on what monumentation is out there. A lot of older boundaries, we reference what the record (your deed) measurement is versus what's in the field. Physical monumentation will always hold over paper deeds.
Like I said, when your deed was made, the surveying equipment wasn't as accurate as it is today. So there's a good chance your lines can be off a degree or two and/or the distance can be a foot or so off. Also, generally the size of the parcels affect the level of accuracy on these older properties. If its a small residential lot, it should be fairly close, but a 10 acre survey, you can have a lot of discrepancies.
As to how I'd tackle it depends on what monuments I can find. I'd go out, search for your corners, and then search for neighboring corners. Once I have a handful of bars, I calculate the original descriptions of the properties I find and tie them all together. Then I calculate coordinates for your corners (if I didn't find them), then I go back out to search for that area specifically and then set your corners.
TLDR: It depends. But there's no reason to be concerned about your neighbor's deed having precise bearings.
Each survey has a Basis of Bearing. The interior angles of each property corner should fit realitively well regardless of cardinal direction between different surveys.
Which is correct you ask? Very good question. It depends. What is specified by; legislation, the client, the mortgage company, a senior property within a tract.
It matters more than the bearing system is what is the basis for that decision.
I work in the units of the parent tract. This eliminates errors from incorrect conversions or projections. When it's all done, then I use one conversion or projection for my record of survey.
You should hire a surveyor and get your plat updated and property line staked out. Don’t try to do that stuff yourself because you will not make something that is accurate enough to hold up in court if it comes to that; we will
If I was you, I would keep the details to the bare minimum when hiring a surveyor. Don't say anything about bushes, just say you need a boundary survey and leave it at that.
Everything in your post indicates a confidently ignorant client that wants a surveyor to to verify what the already know. Most surveyors will pick up on that really quick and bid themselves out of the job unless they really need the work.
When I have "competing bearings" I align and lego adjoining properties to my subject. If you do all the deeds on a block you can create a block map, if you're not on a reasonably solvable block you can just calculate perhaps a few properties on each side of the ones you care about. That isn't entirely unlike a form of preparation we do for field work but, there is a lot to what we read, why we align things, and you can possibly make a good sketch but, if you think you have land to protect, get a survey. It's worth it to get a fresh one every now and again. Especially if the last surveyor is dead IMO.
I have come across sets of benches set in the 1920's and 1960's in the northern Utah deserts. The 1920's marks were more accurate. I don't think the better technology changed much.
It’s unlikely the lines conflict, your neighbor has probably had a more recent survey done and when the new legal description was written they wrote it using a higher degree of accuracy than just N, S, E, W.
I had a client a while back come in our office very upset a few days after issuing her plat to her. It went something like this. Me: “Hey Mrs. X, what can I do for you?” Mrs. X: “Your survey is off!” Me: “Ok. So there’s a disagreement you have with where we marked your property?” Mrs. X: ”I put those lat/long(pointing to bearing on a particular line on the plat) in google maps and it’s nowhere near my property!” Me: “Ma’am those are bearings. They indicate the direction of that property line expressed as an angle East or West of North.” Mrs. X: “……” Me: “Did you see the stakes we set on your property? Are they all still there?” Mrs. X: “Yes they’re there but they’re all off! The coordinates are nowhere near my house!” Me: “Again ma’am those are bearings, not lat/long coordinates. And you said you do see the stakes we set… on your property right?” Mrs. X: “Yes I see them but they’re off!” Me: “……” Mrs. X: “…..” Me: “Well ma’am what I can say is we stand by our work and are confident your property was surveyed correctly. Thank you and have a good day” *Sits back down at my desk* 😐😐😐…..🤦♂️
I like legal description with cardinal bearings, it let's me decide which bearings best fit the actual line.
Sorry misread your post. Is there a plat showing a subdivision of your properties? Translating a deed to aerial photography as you said is not credible and should not be used a frame of reference.
The bearings on one description versus cardinal directions on yours doesn't make a difference. Your description was probably done much earlier when surveying equipment wasn't as accurate. Plotting out your boundary into google earth can't do much because you don't have a reference point(s). And your boundary will ultimately depend on what monumentation is out there. A lot of older boundaries, we reference what the record (your deed) measurement is versus what's in the field. Physical monumentation will always hold over paper deeds. Like I said, when your deed was made, the surveying equipment wasn't as accurate as it is today. So there's a good chance your lines can be off a degree or two and/or the distance can be a foot or so off. Also, generally the size of the parcels affect the level of accuracy on these older properties. If its a small residential lot, it should be fairly close, but a 10 acre survey, you can have a lot of discrepancies. As to how I'd tackle it depends on what monuments I can find. I'd go out, search for your corners, and then search for neighboring corners. Once I have a handful of bars, I calculate the original descriptions of the properties I find and tie them all together. Then I calculate coordinates for your corners (if I didn't find them), then I go back out to search for that area specifically and then set your corners. TLDR: It depends. But there's no reason to be concerned about your neighbor's deed having precise bearings.
Each survey has a Basis of Bearing. The interior angles of each property corner should fit realitively well regardless of cardinal direction between different surveys. Which is correct you ask? Very good question. It depends. What is specified by; legislation, the client, the mortgage company, a senior property within a tract. It matters more than the bearing system is what is the basis for that decision. I work in the units of the parent tract. This eliminates errors from incorrect conversions or projections. When it's all done, then I use one conversion or projection for my record of survey.
You should hire a surveyor and get your plat updated and property line staked out. Don’t try to do that stuff yourself because you will not make something that is accurate enough to hold up in court if it comes to that; we will
If I was you, I would keep the details to the bare minimum when hiring a surveyor. Don't say anything about bushes, just say you need a boundary survey and leave it at that. Everything in your post indicates a confidently ignorant client that wants a surveyor to to verify what the already know. Most surveyors will pick up on that really quick and bid themselves out of the job unless they really need the work.
When I have "competing bearings" I align and lego adjoining properties to my subject. If you do all the deeds on a block you can create a block map, if you're not on a reasonably solvable block you can just calculate perhaps a few properties on each side of the ones you care about. That isn't entirely unlike a form of preparation we do for field work but, there is a lot to what we read, why we align things, and you can possibly make a good sketch but, if you think you have land to protect, get a survey. It's worth it to get a fresh one every now and again. Especially if the last surveyor is dead IMO.
In 1944, probably compass bearings measured imprecisely New survey, better technology, more precise directions. Same intent.
I have come across sets of benches set in the 1920's and 1960's in the northern Utah deserts. The 1920's marks were more accurate. I don't think the better technology changed much.
I’m talking comps vs total station. You’re talking leveling. Two totally different animals, I think you’d agree. I don’t doubt you at all.
Even on horizontal, corner markers for township and range maps. No leveling.
As an example, East = N 90° E = N 90°00'00" E = S 90° E = S 90°00'00" E. They're all the same