Ten years ago I was overworked, underpaid, alone in the world and adrift
without a home to call my own. That has all happily been remedied, but
none of it has been without a lot of work, and even more luck.
I still work hard, but enjoy it much more. My financial reimbursement is
more in keeping with the quality work I strive to deliver. Some people
who like me, some who love me and some who are even content to live with
me surround me. A nd I was fortunate to find this place I call home on a
land contract purchase. It was a happy day when I signed papers to buy
this place and an even happier day to receive the deed free and clear
from our county tax office.
Interested, since I had never seen the legal description of my land, I
playfully paced out my east lot line (the only one that's a pretty
straight shot over pretty level land). I started at the north corner and
counted out paces. I looked up when I reached what should've been the
end.
Curious... my house was up ahead of me by about 100 feet.
Confidently, I started at the other end of the east lot line and counted
off paces. I looked up.
There was my house, teasing me from 100 feet away again.
This was potentially bad.
My mind has a wonderful way of being able to fly off in several
directions simultaneously. I think there are medications for that...
My first thought was, "Very nice. I don't own my house."
My second thought was, "Who DOES own my house and will I have to buy it
from them?"
My third thought was, "What's the cure for hyperventilation?"
Of course this all took place after 5 PM so I got to
stew on all the above till the next morning.
At 9:00 AM and 1 second the next day, I was on the phone with the tax
office, anonymously, of course. (Like they couldn't see me on caller ID)
I told them that "this friend of mine" had a little problem with her
legal description.
Surprisingly, Tax Office Lady informed me that it was
not uncommon for legal descriptions to be wrong (shouldn't they be
called close guesses then?), and that "my friend" needed to talk to
her neighbors to ascertain where THEY thought the lot lines were. If
there was no argument as to their boundaries, all I had to do was have a
new survey done according to the agreed upon area and file it with the
tax office.
I have two neighbors: one on the south side and one on the north and
west sides. The east side is a county road. South Side Neighbor said, "I
just had my land surveyed when I bought the place and I KNOW that my lot
lines are the corner posts of my fences. I am OK with you re-surveying
using those posts as my corners". One down.
West/North side neighbor is
the bank president here in our little town and his family has been here
forever and owns a lot of land. He said "I know MY lot lines are the
fence posts and am OK with you re-surveying using those posts as my
corners".
Bingo.
