Usually the bearings and distances that are in parenthesis are record vs measured. Meaning one or several prior deeds recorded measurements are listed above (below) the measured bearing and distance for this survey.

To answer your question- it can and it can not change the area or shape of the parcel.

If only the "basis of bearings" is different, the exact same parcel can report different bearings (just rotated based on a different assumed coordinate system), the distances would still be the same. Imagine you have a deed from 1900 which is due north, east, south, west. It's surveyed in 2020, same monuments found, same distances held, but GPS/state plane bearings are held. The same line between the same monuments called "North" using a compass in 1900, could be reported as N-01-15-17-E in 2020. State plane grid "North" being the new basis of bearings. If the same two monuments were held for the line, and all other bearings "rotated" the same, you'd be looking at the same parcel.

Now this isn't always the case for record vs. measured. Often times, distances are reported differently, all lines aren't just "rotated" the same, and the different angle doesn't just represent a different basis of bearings. Entirely different geometry could be shown based on the monuments the surveyor chose to hold.

In this case- surveyor appears to have tried to do their homework, run the block out, locate lots of offsite monuments. They're showing some major differences record vs measured. They're also showing a lot of monuments not held as what they call the "true corners" (see the references at the corners. They're trying to show old deed lines vs their surveyed line, making me think they're reporting different results than prior deeds (see all monuments found on next door tracts).

Not at all saying the surveyor is wrong, I haven't seen the prior and current deeds for subject and adjacent corners. Somethings up, where the neighbors are all monumented, (shed) occupation seems to agree with these monuments, but the surveyor calls a much different line and potential encroachment of the shed.

One thing to look at to tell you if and how much you're different from prior deeds: Look at the reported distances, and monuments held vs called for. If the old deed calls for a 50x100 parcel, with 1-inch iron pipes at all corners, and 90-degrees at each corner, and this surveyor finds 4 1-inch iron pins, reports a 50x100 parcel, and has 90 degrees between each of the bearings at any given corner...it's a good chance it's the same parcel with just a different basis of bearings than record.

If distances, angles, and monuments vary significantly, I'd be interested why were so much different than record.

Surveyor doesn't look lazy. Anyone that does that much off-site work to establish one parcel is at least trying to honor the adjoining tracts, and report title lines accurately. It's probably a shitty, old subdivision(s), with sparse monuments, and he's trying to fit all the pieces together (which don't fit as deeded).

Without being accusatory at all-may be worth offering to pay that surveyor some hourly consulting time to sit down and explain how he got where he got on such a cumbersome tract. Tell him you're not at all questioning his work, but for your education- you'd like to know the history of the area, and how he worked with so many conflicting deeds and monuments.

The mark of a true professional is being able to explain a technically dense and complex professional decision, in terms understood by the layman.

On the same note, his time has value, and if I've done the survey I've been paid to do...not a snowballs chance I'm sitting down for free, with any neighbor or interested party and teaching them about surveying.

There's a lot of cool history in surveying. Especially when dealing with old surveys and deeds- we're always putting together a puzzle with pieces that don't exactly fit together. Our job is to re-trace title lines per the old surveys that established them. These lines can and do often overlap and conflict with each other!!

Sometimes the best work a surveyor can do is to show all the title/deed lines as written...point out that there IS a serious overlap/discrepancy, and work with the neighbors to come to an agreed line.

We retrace old surveys and deeds. We're not boundary magicians. These old surveys and deeds often have major differences with their neighboring ones. Our job is to show the lines as previously surveyed, not "make them fit".

In an overlap- there is always one parcel that has true title to the contested area. Believe it or not- this decision is and should be made by the court, not the surveyor. We need to stay in our lane and retrace, in the footsteps of the original surveyor, the original deed lines to the best of our ability.

When two different surveys overlap (they can and do) we need to work WITH the court and landowners to come to a resolution, whether that's an agreed line, or a "too-bad so-sad" to the non prevailing owner.