Surveyors are not title attorneys, but we sometimes discover issues or discrepancies strongly hint at title trouble. While being cautious about offering what could be construed as legal opinions, we need to be alert to potential problems the client should be made aware of.  It is also imperative to be able to work with attorneys when we have the opportunity to help resolve such issues.  Several case studies will be discussed.

Boundary and title disputes between states can be as intense as those between individuals. The disputes are often triggered by a new, “better” survey of an old line.  A U.S. Supreme Court case is the subject of Don’s tale of The Fairfax Stone and Deakins Line: How West Virginia Put a Whuppin’ on Maryland.   The discussion will include Supreme Court decisions in a few other state boundary disputes, and their relevance to everyday boundary surveying.