John B. Stahl, PLS, CFedS will begin with a review of the fundamental aspects of evidence relied upon by the surveyor to determine boundary locations. The court’s view of evidence will be examined and comparisons between the role of the surveyor and the role of the courts will be drawn. We will look at problems with deeds, common transcription mistakes, writing conflicts, and evidence conflicts. We will discuss the distinct differences between written conflicts, adjoining conflicts, and occupational conflicts. Statutory and common law presumptions, rules, and principles that provide direction to the surveyor for conflict resolution will be reviewed and discussed. We will also review some real-life examples of projects and court cases involving deed interpretation and resolution of conflicting terms.
