The document discusses whether surveying is considered a profession, detailing its historical context and defining characteristics. It highlights the three disciplines of surveying, the importance of business skills, and the varying methods of business organization. Additionally, it addresses the role of surveyors in litigation, including adherence to professional standards and legal criteria for expert testimony.

1. ©
THE THREE
WORLDS
OF SURVEYING
TONY NETTLEMAN,
Instructor
www.cnettleman.net

2. IS SURVEYING A
PROFESSION?
This question has been asked often, from medieval times until today
Under early English law there were only four recognized professions:
•
•
•
•
Legal
Medicine
Theology
Ferrymen
WHY IS SURVEYING A PROFESSION?

3. THE THREE
DISCIPLINES OF
SURVEYING
conflict
WHICH AREA IS YOUR FAVORITE?

4. THE THREE
DISCIPLINES:
Traditional surveying is not about creating new
boundaries, but retracing existing boundaries, then
applying the proper legal principles
Some believe that surveying is nothing more than a
technical avocation
Some of the most important skills in surveying include
the ability to create and maintain business relationships

6. EARLY
COMPUTATIONS
• The early surveyors relied on printed tables of numbers for
computations
• “Latitude and departure” tables were used early on and when
calculators were developed, the cosine and sine tables became the
standard

7. CHARACTERISTICS OF
RANDOM ERROR ARE….
• Small errors occur more frequently than large
ones
• Negative and positive errors occur with the
same frequency (symmetry)
• Very large errors do not occur – counted as
blunders if they do

9. THE FIVE STAGES OF A
BUSINESS’ LIFE CYCLE

10. WHAT METHOD OF
BUSINESS DO YOU
OPERATE UNDER?
IT REALLY MATTERS!!

11. TYPES OF BUSINESS
ORGANIZATIONS
1. SOLE PROPRIETORSHIP: individual owner, complete
managerial control
2. PARTNERSHIP: two or more owners share profit/loss
3. CORPORATION: legal entity created to conduct business
4. LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY: hybrid of partnership and
corporation
5. “Under the table moonlighting”

13. WHAT IS LAW
•A rule of reason promulgated by authority
and supported by sanctions
•A prediction of what the courts will do
•A striving by force towards justice

14. THE
SURVEYOR’S
ROLE IN
LITIGATION
IDENTIFY PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS
AND DETERMINE IF A “COMPETENT”
SURVEYOR BREACHED THOSE STANDARDS
• Did the land surveyors involved in the suit follow standard
procedures?
• Did the land surveyors involved in the suit follow state law?
• Did the land surveyors involved in the suit breach any ethical duties?

15. QUALIFYING AS AN
EXPERT
• The court serves as a “gate
keeper” to determine which
experts are, in fact, qualified to
testify
• Purpose of the “gate keeping”
function is to ensure that testimony
is based on objective, wellestablished, scientific knowledge
• FRCP 702