Getting Fence Facts Straight

As a homeowner, I thought that the article on fences (“Separation Anxiety,” Nov. 15) presented interesting and useful information.

However, as a professional land surveyor, I found the comments of Affordable Fence’s Gil Martinez to be misleading and advocating an illegal act as defined in the Land Surveyors Act, Section8700-880-6, California Business and Professions Codes.

Martinez is quoted as saying, “We can usually find a plot pin from a nearby house that has been previously surveyed and then we use the plot plan to calculate the distance to the customer’s property line.”

Martinez’s comments suggest that a contractor is capable of establishing property lines. In my opinion, the action described constitutes the practice of land surveying by a nonlicensed individual.

While I do not think that your article was intended to be misleading, I do think these comments were offered as a means to subvert the cost of a legitimate survey performed by a licensed land surveyor.

As a practicing, licensed land surveyor, I have had many opportunities to discuss surveying needs with homeowners who are about to build a fence along their property lines.

In too many cases, the homeowner has received inaccurate and / or misleading information from fencing and building contractors concerning the need for, value of and cost of a land survey.

There are many issues that determine the need for and cost of a land survey. In most cases an ethical surveyor will provide the homeowner with accurate information concerning when a land survey is necessary and will perform the survey for a legitimate fee.

Unfortunately, the homeowner is usually not very well-informed about the requirements of a legitimate land survey. And because of relying on information such as the comments attributed to Martinez, the homeowner is also not prepared for the cost and amount of time necessary to perform the survey.CRAIG STANTON

Representative

Los Angeles chapter,

California Land Surveyors Assn.

The article on fences provides a lot of useful information. But one remedy not mentioned for fences that do not conform to local zoning codes is to obtain a variance.

State law enables local jurisdictions to grant special deviations from development standards if various findings can be made, and most local governments do provide for fence and wall variances.

In many situations, it may be better and less expensive to obtain a variance, rather than modify or remove an existing wall.

Also, in some situations there are compelling reasons to build a wall that does not conform to zoning regulations. In these situations, a variance would be needed prior to construction of the wall.

JEROME BUCKMELTER

Zoning / planning consultant

Woodland Hills