Opinion ID: 1730429
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Power of the court to order a survey.

Text: Linda contends on appeal that the court had no authority to order a survey. On the contrary, two separate chapters of the Code grant such authority. In Taylor v. Shaw, 256 Ala. 467, 55 So.2d 502 (1951), this Court reversed a decision of the trial court sustaining a demurrer to a mortgagee/materialman's complaint. In that case, there was some question as to whether the building by which the complainant's note was secured had been built beyond the mortgagor's property line. This Court, in remanding the case, said: Certainly the complainant can request the survey, [Code 1975, § 11-7-11], and the court can direct the survey. [Code 1975, §§ 11-7-4 and -5]. Taylor, supra, 256 Ala. at 472. In contesting Bird's request for a survey before trial, Linda and Johnny argued that §§ 11-7-4 and 11-7-11, gave Bird the right and the duty to survey their land before filing his lien statement. Although § 11-7-11 does give the surveyor the right to enter upon and survey lands at the request of any person interested therein, we find no record of this section being used except in conjunction with a court proceeding as contemplated in Taylor and in § 11-7-5. Therefore, because of the practical considerations involved in getting a surveyor to go on someone else's land, without a court order, and the shortness of time required to file a materialman's lien under our statute, we do not interpret § 11-7-5 to require a materialman to obtain the services of a surveyor before filing his lien statement. As further authority for the court's appointment of a surveyor, we note Chapter 3 of Title 35 (Code 1975, §§ 35-3-1 through -3 and §§ 35-3-20 through -25). Bird and the court below, in fact, complied with this chapter: Bird filed a motion which accords with § 35-3-21; the court held a hearing before granting the motion (cf. McCullar v. Conner, 287 Ala. 455, 252 So.2d 422 (1971)); and the order directed the surveyor to comply with the procedure stated in § 35-3-24. Upon entering judgment in favor of Bird, the court below taxed the costs of the survey against Johnny, apparently on the basis of its finding that the survey was necessitated by the fact that Johnny ... did not have a survey of the land involved in this action showing the location of the three buildings in relation to the boundary lines.... We would not go so far as to require a property owner to survey his own land for another's benefit; furthermore, Bird is receiving the benefit of the court ordered survey in that it completes the description required in his lien statement. Therefore, we direct the court on remand to tax the survey costs against Bird.