Land Surveying; the Push-Over Profession

The title alone will make some people angry.  Well maybe it should.  I have never been one to be afraid of insighting anger when I have a point to make.  Spirited debate used to be a corner stone of our profession.  That was how we used to address differences of opinion. 

So why are we the push over profession?  Simple, we are cowards in the face of government agencies who assert bureaucratic policies that are not based in law, ordinance, or statute.  We also display timidity in the face rule changes or policies that have a direct effect on us with out our conscent.

A specific example is Gila County.  The recorder's office has a policy that when they receive a record of survey they immediately transfer it down to community development for reveiw and acceptance.  Before we go any further; I am not talking about MINOR LAND SPLITS, LOT LINE ADJUSTMENTS, or SUBDIVISIONS these all have to be reveiwed.  I am talking about a RECORD OF SURVEY.  If the survey falls within the jurisdiction of a municipality then the plat has to submitted to the municipalty's community development department for reveiw and acceptance before the recorder will record it.

THIS IS AGAINST THE LAW.  If the recorder's office receives a document or plat that meets the statutory requirements they have to accept it for recordation.  If they divert the plat to another agency for reveiw; this action alone is in violation of ARS 11-460.  By refusing to accept the document they have done a couple of things.  First, they have obstructed the lawfaul recordation as mandated by the rules and regulations governing the practice of land Surveying.  Second, they have obsolved the surveyor of any responsibility of having to record.

Gila County has been doing this for 20 years.  I don't normally work down there so I had no idea this was going on.  But I know there are at least 12-20 land surveyors who routinely work down there.  Yesterday in a phone conversation with the Town of Payson; I was told I was the first person to ever raise an issue with this practice of reveiwing records of survey.  This floored me.  Why in the world would the surveyor's in Gila County sit back and submit themselves to this over reaching bureaucratic nonsense?  Is this happening anywhere else?  Why hasn't APLS been involved to stop this? 

Look, we have got to get mad.  We have got to get engaged.  We have got to take control of our profession.  Things like the example above should not be allowed to happen.  I can understand why these type of policies are in place.  But these policies don't cure the disease they intended to.  It merely punishes those whom follow the rules.  What these agencies need to do is go after registrants who perpetuate the acts that create these policies.  Not create a broad brush policy that assumes every survey is guilty of some malfeasance.

And where was APLS?  Has APLS gone to the annual Recorder's meeting requested to be on the agenda and discussed any of this stuff with the county recorders?  Why are sticking our heads in the sand? 

Gila County and thier prejudicial treatment of the surveying community has got to stop.  They don't have deeds reveiwed before they are accepted only surveys.  Surveys don't convey title, they don't created parcels; they merely depict existing conditions so why is it necessary to reveiw them?  Oh and the best part; this is what set me off; the town of payson had specific preferences that they wanted to see added to my record of survey.  OH HELL NO.

I am going to fight this with every essence of my being.  You all can jump in any time.  However I fear that most will meekly cheer from the cheap seats.


And For My Commrads in Traverse in the South; VIVA LA SALSA!!!!!