That “boots over browser” approach is spot on. I learned the hard way after trusting an online map for a fence line—turns out, the neighbor’s shed was technically on my side, but nobody cared because it’d been there forever. Now, I always do three things: walk the property with the last survey in hand, talk to neighbors (they know the weird history), and only use online maps as a rough guide. Saves a lot of headaches down the road.
I learned the hard way after trusting an online map for a fence line—turns out, the neighbor’s shed was technically on my side, but nobody cared because it’d been there forever. Now, I always...
Digging Into Property Easements—Anyone Else Find Online Tools Confusing?
I get the “boots over browser” idea, but honestly, I’ve had the opposite issue a couple times. Walking the line with a survey is great, but those old surveys aren’t always up to date, especially if there’s been any road work or weird lot splits since then.
Online maps can be off, sure, but sometimes they catch stuff you’d miss—like an old easement that never got recorded on paper but shows up in county GIS layers. I still double-check everything in person, just saying don’t write off the digital stuff completely. Sometimes it’s saved my butt when paperwork was missing or neighbors “forgot” about an old agreement.
That’s a fair point—sometimes the digital layers show things you’d never spot on foot, especially with older properties. I’ve run into mismatches between paper records and what’s in the county GIS too, and it’s not always clear which one’s right. Has anyone here actually managed to get an old easement corrected or updated after finding a discrepancy online? I’ve heard it can be a hassle, but maybe it’s worth it for long-term peace of mind.
DIGGING INTO PROPERTY EASEMENTS—ANYONE ELSE FIND ONLINE TOOLS CONFUSING?
Honestly, I’m not convinced it’s always worth the headache of trying to get old easements updated just because you spot something weird online. I get the appeal of wanting everything to match up, but in my experience, the digital maps and county records are both just as likely to be out of date or plain wrong. I’ve dealt with this a couple times—one property had a utility easement showing up on the GIS that wasn’t anywhere in the actual deed paperwork. Called the county, and they basically shrugged and said “well, it’s probably just a mapping error.” Not exactly confidence-inspiring.
The thing is, unless you’re planning some big project—like building a pool or guest house right where that easement supposedly is—I’m not sure it’s worth the time and money to chase down every little discrepancy. The process can drag on for months, and you’ll probably end up hiring a surveyor or even a lawyer if things get messy. And even then, there’s no guarantee the county will update their records quickly (or at all). I know someone who tried to clear up an old drainage easement that hadn’t existed for decades; took them almost a year and several thousand dollars before everything lined up.
I do see the argument for peace of mind, but sometimes I wonder if we’re just making more work for ourselves by trusting these online tools too much. They’re great for getting a ballpark idea, but when it comes down to it, nothing beats having a good title company and an old-school survey. Maybe I’m just jaded after too many run-ins with bureaucratic red tape... but unless there’s a real risk or you’re planning something major, I’d think twice before going down that rabbit hole.
DIGGING INTO PROPERTY EASEMENTS—ANYONE ELSE FIND ONLINE TOOLS CONFUSING?
I hear you, but I’ve actually found it’s worth chasing down those weird discrepancies—at least sometimes. Had a client last year who wanted a detached studio, and the online map showed a “phantom” sewer easement right through the middle of their backyard. If we’d just shrugged it off, the whole build would’ve stalled once we started digging. Instead, we dug into the records (painful, yes), got a surveyor out, and cleared it up before breaking ground. Total headache, but saved us a lot more trouble down the line. I guess it depends how much you’re willing to gamble. Sometimes the peace of mind is worth the hassle, even if the digital tools are a mess.
