Do I need a survey?

Question

I'm closing on a rental property on Friday.   The title company called and asked if I wanted a survey.  They said that since I'm paying cash, I don't have to have one.  I told them no I don't want one.  What do you guys think?  Should I get a survey?

Wayne Brooks · Answer

I always advise not to get a survey.  That way, you can build that unpermitted shed in the easement you didn't know anything about.

Russell Strayer · Answer

@Billy Rogers. Yes, get a survey by a local, competent insured surveyor. I am a Licensed Surveyor in the State of Florida and educate clients on a daily basis. Look at a survey like a title commitment. It is an insurance policy. If anything goes wrong with that piece of property that you just paid a lot of money for, you have a certified document by a licensed insured professional guaranteeing otherwise. You will also know where your actual property corners are and what they are and you will know where any encumbrances are and where the current improvements fall relative to your property lines and any easements. Also, when you do decide to put on an addition or add anything to your property you have a plan to submit to the local municipality, contractor or engineer to help expedite the process. It will also help prevent any future issues with your neighbors and potential law suites over fences, etc. For the price of the survey, it would be foolish not to get one. Russ

Pat L. · Answer

Case in point....OUCH !!!

http://www.aol.com/article/2014/06/18/why-a-million-dollar-rhode-island-mansion-must-go/20915250/?ncid=txtlnkusaolp00000058

JH Bridge · Answer

Right, that's always a good approach!?  I'm sure any judge in a court of law will allow you plead ignorance & just "let it go".  If your neighbor built upon your land, you'd just forget about it, right?  Give him or her a few hundred square feet.  Or better yet, build that $7000-10000 shed, have the oil/gas company need to come out for emergency pipeline repair & watch that front end loader make quick work of your sweet shed.  Hopefully the sarcasm came through clear enough.

Maybe you were kidding, but I don't want others, who may not know better, to take advice from someone they didn't know was "only kidding".  Seems obvious, but you don't know who is reading the thread.

To be clear; if there's a question about property lines, easements, encumbrances, etc... get with a surveyor.  At the very least, get their advice.

John Veatch · Answer

It's the land people!!! It's not the new hard wood floods, marble counter tops, pool and Gazebo, That the only thing they don't make anymore, it's where the true value of real estate can be found, and why would any professional Realtor not tell their clients that a current land survey certified to them ( not some other dude ) and dated within the circumstances of their purchase is the only assurance that they have title to what they have agreed to buy.

JH Bridge · Answer

@Pat L.

Thanks for the article.  Coincidence that the developer is 420?  All involved might have been working while a little high?  Surprised it's not here in CO. Haha :)

Pat L. · Answer

We usually try to dig up an old survey & then have the seller do the proverbial affidavit of no-change

If you decide to sell or re-finance any survey (up here) cannot be older than 6 months making your current need for a NEW survey moot.

However, (up here) if you pull a permit for any addition, garage repair etc etc you will need to have a 'valid' survey on file with the Bldg Inspector.

JH Bridge · Answer

@Billy Rogers

@Jon Holdman is right, as is customary.  Unless you are purchasing a "larger" piece of land, you won't need a true survey.  But ILC's (Improvement Location Certificate) are something you should be aware of, if not already.  You won't always need them, especially in a newer subdivision, but it's good knowledge to have.  It may be different city to city, but here in CO they run about $200-300, far less than a full blown survey.  You can think of it as a lot inspection. Much like a home inspection, they try to uncover defects (e.g. setbacks, fences, aforementioned well, etc.), minimize potential risk & use the info to inform the buyer.  They are not true surveys because the title work is not gone through.

Billy Rogers · Answer

It's a house in a city.  I'm not too worried about it.

Jon Holdman · Answer

Depends on the situation.  If its a property in a city and the lines are clear and match with what's in public records, its not essential, IMHO.  OTOH, a survey or an "improvement location certificate" can identify any potential problems.  So if there appears to be some discrepancy, it may be money well spent.

For a rural property it can be much more important.  Two examples.

Some folks bought the property next to my parents house in rural MO.  They assumed the fence line represented the property line and started building.  But on a farm fences aren't always placed on the line.  You want to be able to get on the outside of the fence and still be on your own property.  So when they found this out and did a survey they discovered they were building their garage on my parents property.

Many years ago I bought a property in rural TX, near Blessing.  Looking at the plat map and survey pins, it appeared there was an issue with the neighbor's well.  A survey revealed that indeed, they had drilled a well that wasn't on their property.  So we had a sliver of land around the well surveyed off and transferred it to the neighbors as part of the purchase transaction.

Do I need a survey?

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