Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/131533
56 • JUNE 2013 • WORLD FENCE NEWS Points to ponder continued from previous page Check out World Fence News OnLine! www.worldfencenews.com to the truck frame, then chain the truck to a light pole or fire hydrant and hope no one steals it (along with the pole or fire hydrant) while you are giving the estimate. There's no danger of getting a ticket for illegal parking. The cops and fire department avoid this neighborhood like the plague. Speaking of bars, did you ever run into a "stretcher bar?" That's the owner of the aforementioned saloon who wants to know if you can possibly "stretch" the materials to make the fence go over to there, instead of stopping the fence here, as quoted in the original price. At no extra charge, of course. TILT-A-WAY RESIDENTIAL & INDUSTRIAL OPERATORS Compare our quality! You will see there is a difference! Commercial Residential All operators meet UL-325 and CSA-247 (800) 523-3888 www.tiltaway.com info@tiltaway.com This brings up the subject of "real property markers," or "RPMs." Please don't confuse these with the "real survey stakes." RPMs are those pieces of 1/2" pipe or 5/8" re-bar you sometimes find near the "suspected" property lines. The customers swear by 'em, the neighbors swear at you. They point out that they don't exactly line up! Most times it turns out the stakes were used to chain dogs, as far away from the house as possible, by former tenants or owners. The stakes have nothing whatsoever to do with the actual property line! The word "post" suggests something after the fact – "post-war era," etc. Therefore, "post holes" are any holes dug after the contract is signed. Here's a suggestion: Don't take sides in the fight that ensues between your customer and the neighbor. Pass the job along to your competition. What about a survey? That's something your customer assures you was done 40 years ago when they first bought the house. They planted a 4" high seedling on the property line! The fact that the tree is now 150' tall and 10' around doesn't matter. The customer gets upset because you can't find the stake under the tree roots. The neighbor claims the whole tree is his. The original surveyor is dead, and any legal papers you dig up at the courthouse crumble to dust as soon as you touch them. Here's some advice: Don't volunteer to cut the tree!! You ever run across "U-bolts?" Those odd bolts you sometimes find on a construction fence site. They ain't yours, you don't need 'em. Usually they're metric. But it's polite to ask all the other contractors, "Hey, are these U-bolts?" before throwing 'em in the bottom of the next post hole. A "single swing gate" is a walk gate that you just installed. The customer's kid takes a swing on it and cocks the hinges, bends the frame and drives the latch side into the ground. "Bored on board" fence. That's any wood fence you ain't interested in putting up to begin with. In closing, I'll throw in "certificate of competency." This is a small card issued to you by building departments that says you can legally do whatever it is you do, whether you can or not. The card is issued for a fee, of course. And sometimes it requires you to take a test that is totally unrelated to what you do.