We are a proud member of the Pennsylvania Society of
Land Surveyors. For more information click on
their logo:
Bascom and Sieger, Inc. can provide a wide array of services for commercial or residential clients. These services are but are not limited to:
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Boundary Surveys
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Topographic Surveys
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Site Development
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Subdivisions
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Construction Stakeouts
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Small Lots
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Large Farms
We
have provided some of the explanations of the functions and reasons for
needing a qualified land surveyor. You can follow the links below for
each area:
The services of a licensed land surveyor provide a certain assurance at the time of a land transfer. It is the assurance against defects (1) in the legal description of the property contained in the deed, and (2) in the physical demarcation of the property on the ground. In this regard, the services of the surveyor rank alongside those of the title searcher and of the title insurance company. Sometimes, the title search turns up inaccuracies which can only be resolved by a survey. Generally, title insurance does not cover the exact location and the exact dimensions of a property without a survey. In some instances, a description is unacceptable simply because it is not a metes and bounds description, and a property is inadequately delimited because some of the corner pins are missing. In all these cases, the surveyor can rectify the defect, and contribute to the peaceful enjoyment of the property.
As land surveyors, we want to draw your attention to the fact that a real estate transaction is essentially a transfer of land. This is not to diminish the importance of the location of a property and of the living accommodations it provides in choosing a property. But, in one respect, the structures and improvements on a property are appurtenances. The subject of the transfer is the land: it is described in the deed to the property.
The commonly required form of description in this state is the "metes and bounds" description. This simply means that the description provides (1) the direction and length of all property lines in sequence usually clockwise ("metes"), and (2) a reference to adjoining properties or property owners and to corner markers ("bounds"). This kind of description is most properly written by a surveyor, to be inserted by the preparers of the deed between the names of the grantors-grantees and the chain of title in the deed.
The mark of a good description is that it enables a surveyor to trace the property lines on the ground. This, of course, is what surveyors are generally known to do; and they do so primarily by placing iron pins at property corners. This is also, all too frequently, assumed to have been done, when it has not been done at all or when the pins have been disturbed. A land developer is not required by law to have pins placed at all corners. Even if placed, the pins are sometimes lost or moved in the course of improving the lot, and need to be replaced or checked for accuracy. To avoid unpleasant surprises at a later date, buyers of real estate should insist, on being shown the corners pins.
The complete survey includes a survey plan: a drawing, to scale, showing the exact, shape and dimensions of the property, the major structures and improvements on the property, and last but not least, the surveyor's seal. In some cases a certification of accuracy and the surveyor's signature are required, but ordinarily the seal is sufficient. The sealed plan is the record of the survey.
