how much for survey? (house)

[LoveTrains]

Has anyone gotten a survey done recently on their property?

I have a small, city lot that is approximately 4500 square feet (standard size in my city).

I bought the house within the last year, and my next door neighbors also bought within the last three months.

Our houses are fairly old, and I am unclear where the property line is between our homes. The way that it is set up there is my house, my driveway (with detached one car garage behind), then his driveway (with detached one car garage behind), his home. We have shrubs/hedges between the two driveways. Then, between the garages there is a one beautiful old maple. Behind the garages and in between them, is another beautiful old maple.

both trees are mature and probably 20-30 feet tall. Neighbor approaches H yesterday about splitting the cost of an arborist to potentially take out the tree in the far back. I love the tree and don't want it removed.

I actually think the tree might be on our property and not his, even though the way it is fenced, it appears to be on their property. I think their fence is probably on my property.

I need a survey, right? Did anyone get a survey recently? How much did it cost? 

Am I going to be effed regardless of what the survey says because of the way the fence was done?  Le sigh. 

[tripleshot]

We got one when we built last year to stake out the house on the lot. I think it was about $650. But we already found the property pins at the 4 corners. I realize it's different than what you need them to do. I would guess it would be less than our depending on how much research they need to do.

[LoveTrains]

What are these property pins you people speak of? I wonder if I might be able to find one in the back corner that would help establish if the tree is on my lot or his.

[tripleshot]

They're metal sticks in the ground that mark the corners. Sometimes they're missing or buried so deep you need a metal detector.

[raangoli]

We had one done with the house we bought earlier in the year. I think it was around $650 as well. We opted not to do the property markers because it was an extra $150-ish and we didn't really see the need for them.

[Deleted]

They are $400-$500 in Texas. If you bought within the past year, the survey should be with your paperwork, I think. The title company usually needs it to close.

[LoveTrains]

Aug 19, 2013 13:15:12 GMT -5 @missy1 said:

They are $400-$500 in Texas. If you bought within the past year, the survey should be with your paperwork, I think. The title company usually needs it to close.

I have this like bizarre document that gives the boundaries of the property. But my house was built in 1940 and it says shit like "the property extends XXX feet in a northwesterly direction towards the property of Widow Adams" that is not helpful in determining whose property said tree is on.

The document I have also references a street that no longer exists. 

[bostonmichelle]

My boss got one done in Northern MA in the last few months and it was $800-$1000 to stake out and put metal steaks every x amount of feet. He wanted to put a fence up so he wanted a lot of stakes and he wanted metal over wooden ones for whatever reason.

[sjh722]

Aug 19, 2013 13:26:10 GMT -5 LoveTrains said:

Aug 19, 2013 13:15:12 GMT -5 @missy1 said:

They are $400-$500 in Texas. If you bought within the past year, the survey should be with your paperwork, I think. The title company usually needs it to close.

I have this like bizarre document that gives the boundaries of the property. But my house was built in 1940 and it says shit like "the property extends XXX feet in a northwesterly direction towards the property of Widow Adams" that is not helpful in determining whose property said tree is on.

The document I have also references a street that no longer exists. 

That's a legal description.

Here a survey like you described would probably be in the neighborhood of $500 provided the surveyor could find the exisiting markers.

[Deleted]

Aug 19, 2013 13:26:10 GMT -5 LoveTrains said:

Aug 19, 2013 13:15:12 GMT -5 @missy1 said:

They are $400-$500 in Texas. If you bought within the past year, the survey should be with your paperwork, I think. The title company usually needs it to close.

I have this like bizarre document that gives the boundaries of the property. But my house was built in 1940 and it says shit like "the property extends XXX feet in a northwesterly direction towards the property of Widow Adams" that is not helpful in determining whose property said tree is on.

The document I have also references a street that no longer exists. 

Most surveys I've seen read that way. I'd have a surveyor come and set pins. That paperwork is useless to the average person.

[ladyk]

Not all states/title companies require a survey to close. Most lenders don't require them anymore because their title insurance policies don't have survey exceptions and most owners don't think it's necessary to spend the money on a survey at closing. Their title insurance policies have survey exceptions and unless you are in real estate/title, you have no idea what I just said.

To sum up:

1) check your closing materials for a survey, though I doubt you got one.
2) I paid $350 for a .25 acre lot in a subdivision
3) even if their fence is on your lot, that doesn't make it their land. Since you both bought within the past year, you don't have to worry about the doctrine of adverse possession. They can't just take the tree out because it's within their fence (if it is still on your land). They may, however, take the branches off from the property line skyward as long as it does't kill the tree.

[Norticprincess]

We have quotes for $350-$650 depending on what they need to do for half acre. If they can find the property pins lower range. If they need do the whole thing higher range. We do have the property pins as the entire boro was laid out in the 70s. The telephone pole is on the property line. We do need to have things confirmed before we regrade and fence.

When we purchased the one mortgage company still required a survey, the broker left so we found a different one. Our Deed does have the coordinates listed.

[RoxMonster]

We had a survey done in May and it was $550. The companies we called all had a set price; they didn't ask the size of our yard or anything.

[imojoebunny]

I got a property line marking, not a survey. I paid $250 for it. The survey would have been more like $750. The property line marking basically found the pins, and marked the property line in one area where I was planning to do some construction. We had to show that what we planned to built met the set back requirements for the community. This allowed us to do it. Something similar might work for you. This was a two acre property and finding the pins/marking the property line was relatively difficult, so it might be cheaper for a smaller property. It sounds like you already have the county survey? If not, our county has a survey on file, and I pulled that. It just didn't have the house on it, since it was built fairly recently.

[LoveTrains]

Thanks guys. I am going to get some quotes.

I spoke to the neighbor again and he is mostly concerned about the health of the tree, but when I mentioned that I would do anything to save it, he said that he agreed.

So the one thing I did find on the city plat map is the length of my lot in the back. I measured along the back fence and I am 99% sure his fence is on my property and the tree is on my property.

I didn't say anything to the neighbor but he did tell me he wanted to put a sand box back there for the kids. I don't really care because there is no way I am going to use that part of the yard but I am wondering if I should say something that I think that the tree might be on my property and his fence and where he wants to put the sandbox? I am half torn because he did offer to split saving the tree with me (because he thinks its on his property) and well, I am cheap.

[bryantpark]

I just got a quote for $500. I doubt we have pins. My house is 110+ years old on a tiny lot.

[Deleted]

I don't remember exactly because H dealt with ours but I want to say it was about $600.

[kaylie]

We're in a similar situation, but with no tree involved. Once we're ready to replace the fence (it's not maintained at all and is falling down) I'll get a survey and let our neighbor to the rear of us know the findings and that we plan to put in a new fence that fully encompasses our property.

I would let the neighbor know that you'd like to get a survey to determine the exact property line and ask if he can hold off until then.