County records have saved me a few times too, especially when online maps were just totally off. I remember once trying to figure out exactly where my property line was because the neighbor wanted to put up a fence. The online tools were giving me conflicting info, and it was driving me nuts. Finally went down to the county office, and sure enough, there was an old deed from the '60s with some handwritten notes about a shared well and property boundaries. Turns out the neighbor and I both had it wrong, but luckily we caught it before any fence posts went in the ground. We ended up splitting the cost of a new survey just to be safe...definitely worth it to avoid future headaches.
Interesting experience, but I'm wondering—are county records always that reliable? When I checked mine, the documents were pretty outdated and hard to interpret clearly. Even the surveyor seemed unsure about some handwritten notes from decades ago. Makes me question whether relying solely on county records is enough, or if it's better to always get a fresh survey done regardless of what the old paperwork says...
"Even the surveyor seemed unsure about some handwritten notes from decades ago."
Reminds me of a build I did a couple years back. County records showed a clear easement, but when we got out there, the markers were nowhere near matching the old notes. Ended up getting a fresh survey—turned out the original boundaries had shifted slightly over time due to road widening and neighbor fencing. Bottom line, county docs are a solid starting point, but nothing beats boots-on-the-ground confirmation...
Had a similar issue when we renovated our lake house. The original easement notes were practically ancient hieroglyphics—barely legible and definitely not matching reality. We ended up discovering the neighbor's boathouse was actually encroaching by a few feet. Thankfully, it was resolved amicably, but it made me wonder how often these old records cause unintended headaches. Has anyone else had boundary surprises pop up mid-project?
When we first bought our lot, the online easement maps were a total mess—lines overlapping, outdated references, you name it. I ended up pulling county records myself and cross-referencing with satellite imagery just to get a clear picture. Sure enough, our neighbor's fence was about two feet onto our side. Thankfully, they were cool about shifting it over, but it definitely taught me not to rely solely on those online tools. Always double-check with official docs... saves headaches later.
