Do you always get a survey?

[Jill Curran]

I'm about to buy a duplex off the MLS, and the owner has forwarded me the survey from when he bought it. Do I really need to get the property re-surveyed? Why? There are no buildings close to boundaries, nothing has been built around it in 40 years, and the lot is in the city and surrounded by other duplexes. What would a new survey or a confirmation of the old one get me really? When I go to sell it in 10 years, the buyer will then just get their own survey if they want, yes?

Thank you for your feedback!

Jill

[Clint Shelley]

There is usually nothing wrong with the title lines. There is nearly always something encroaching because people think surveys aren't necessary, and thus they don't know where the title lines are when they make an improvement. I make a handsome living surveying because they aren't necessary. You have to think of your property lines and conditions that affect them relative to that moment in time. Why do you think appraisals aren't valid after so many months? Because their value was based on market conditions at that time and conditions may have or did change. With the advent of county tax mapping and their errors, I have seen an explosion in encroachments because "my phone showed the propert line here, so we built our detached garage". BTW, most of the encroachment issues I locate are in lot and block subdiviisions. I don't have time to tell you the horror stories. It amazes me how much research people will do before they buy tires or a ladder, yet they'll own a 200000 piece of property and have no idea where the damn thing lays on the earth. It's not necessary to get a survey, but it's awfully prudent. Just my $.02.

Clint