Survey description problems For country properties, it is not unusual for the metes and bounds description to decide that a course follows a line to a stump located in the middle of a swamp, moving thence toward the lands of a long-deceased farmer to a particular tree or other marker. So long as the marker is well known, it isn't a problem, and is insurable by most title companies. At a minimum, a photocopy of the survey should be retained in your file. The original survey should always be retained when possible. As noted, old surveys may not suffice.
Surveys are extraordinarily expensive in some parts of the country.
Work with an experienced lawyer in your state.