Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) Practice Exam

Among conflicting calls in a description, which has the lowest priority?

1. Call for an artificial monument

2. Call for distance

3. Call for a natural monument

4. Call for course

The correct answer is: Call for distance

In surveying, when dealing with conflicting calls in a legal description, the priority of the evidence is crucial for establishing boundaries accurately. Among the different types of calls, the call for distance typically has the lowest priority. This means that when there are conflicts, the surveyor will prioritize physical evidence over numerical data associated with distance. For instance, calls for monuments—whether natural or artificial—indicate a physical reference point that can be verified in the field, making them more reliable for determining property lines. Natural monuments (such as trees, rivers, etc.) and artificial monuments (like fences or markers) are given precedence over distance measurements, as they provide a tangible reference for boundaries. Consequently, when trying to resolve discrepancies in boundary descriptions, the actual physical markers take precedence over the measured distance, which could be less accurate due to various factors such as errors in survey techniques or changes in land conditions over time. Thus, the call for distance is considered least reliable because it relies solely on measurements that may not always depict the accurate and intended location of boundaries, emphasizing the importance of physical markers in surveying practices.