Fair go on boundaries

[Mark Geddes]

Another boundary related article on 'Fair Go' last  night.  More evidence of confusion in the sale of land process and people's knowledge of boundaries (with poor communication between the parties involved). There is no doubt the legal profession can assist in this process but there was no advice at the end of the article to contact or engage a surveyor to clarify matters.  How are we as a profession going to either educate the agents/public about boundaries or maybe more realistically encourage them to contact a surveyor?  Cost may seem like an issue but in the context of a real estate sale it is a small price in the whole scheme of things and potentially removes later expense, misunderstanding and emotional pain.

[Brent George]

I too saw the Fair Go show and noted that a Land Surveyor was not referenced or identified as a professional who could advise on this type of issue. But that in itself is not surprising. As surveyor fees are often much less than real estate agent fees then it must be that real estate agents are more learned... 

Although I did recall a Lex McRae lecture where the term "caveat emptor" ("let the buyer beware") was discussed and examples along similar lines to the case presented were debated.   One could say that ignorance is no defence.....