Why Are There Two Property Pins at My Property Corner?

You find what appears to be a property pin near the corner of your lot. 

Then, only a short distance away, you find another one.

So here’s the question: Which pin marks the actual corner?

Land surveyors sometimes refer to this cluster of competing markers as a “multiple monument party.” If we’re being honest, no property owner (or surveyor) wants an invitation to that kind of party. 

A situation where multiple property pins are clustered together is confusing, especially when you are preparing to install a fence, complete an improvement, sell the property, or resolve a disagreement with a neighbor.

The presence of two (or more) monuments does not automatically mean either one is correct. A Colorado-licensed land surveyor like Apex Land Surveying and Mapping LLC must evaluate the history and evidence surrounding both markers before determining which one best represents the evidence of the property corner.

Why Would a Property Corner Have Multiple Monuments?

Property monuments can accumulate for several reasons. An older pin may have been overlooked when a later land surveyor set another marker. A monument may have been disturbed by grading, utility installation, roadwork, landscaping, frost, or construction. In other cases, a marker may have been placed by someone who was not a licensed surveyor.

The two pins (monuments) may not even represent the same corner. One could mark a property corner while the other identifies an easement, right-of-way, construction offset, control point, or nearby parcel corner.

Age and appearance alone do not settle the question. The older pin is not automatically correct, and the newer or more professionally labeled marker does not automatically replace it.

How Does a Land Surveyor Determine Which Monument Controls?

To be absolutely clear: A property corner is a legally defined location. A monument is the physical object the surveyor intended to mark that location.

Determining whether a particular pin accurately represents the corner requires much more than comparing its position to a handheld GPS reading or online parcel map.

A licensed land surveyor researches the available record evidence, which may include:

• Deeds and legal descriptions

• Recorded subdivision plats

• Previous land survey plats

• Colorado Land Survey Monument Records

• Surveys and descriptions of adjoining properties

• Field notes and other historical records

The land surveyor then searches the property and surrounding area for additional monuments and physical evidence. Measurements between the pins (monuments) and other established points are compared with the recorded bearings, distances, and relationships shown in the available documents. A retracement surveyor is “following the footsteps” of the original surveyor in making a boundary determination.

Colorado’s professional rules require land surveyors to conduct the research needed to define a property boundary relative to recorded instruments and visible evidence affecting property boundary. When found monuments conflict, the conclusion must be based on the full body of evidence as opposed to whichever pin appears closest to an expected location. 

For those looking for further explanation, the federal BLM Manual of Surveying Instructions explains the importance of retracing established boundaries using historical and physical evidence.

Should You Remove the Extra Property Pins?

No you should not. Property owners should not remove, relocate, or drive a suspected monument farther into the ground. 

Even a marker that ultimately does not control the corner may be important evidence of an earlier survey or boundary determination.

Leave both markers undisturbed and contact a licensed land surveyor. Colorado rules may require conflicting boundary evidence or a monument found substantially at variance with recorded information to be documented on a deposited Land Survey Plat. Preserving the site gives the surveyor the best opportunity to understand what occurred.

Getting a Professional Answer Before You Build

Choosing the wrong pin can affect the placement of a fence, driveway, retaining wall, addition, or other improvement. It may also create confusion during a real estate transaction or lead to an avoidable boundary dispute.

In an exhaustive effort to “follow in the footsteps” of the original surveyor, Apex Land Surveying and Mapping LLC consistently researches and evaluates property boundaries on parcels of land found throughout Colorado Springs and the surrounding Front Range area. If you have found multiple pins near a property corner, submit an order form before relying on either marker. Deliverables from a professional survey will provide the documented answer you need to move forward with greater confidence.