Board of Licensure for Professional Land Surveyors - Disciplinary Action
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2006
NOTHING TO REPORT
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2005
PUTNAM, EUGENE L.
License Number: PLS20001184
License Type: Professional Land Surveyor
Complaint Number: LS-202
Disposition: Decision and Order dated 4/26/05
Summary: Licensee quoted a price of $2200 - 2500 to a client for a survey but did not provide the written confirmation of both the surveying services to be provided and the cost of those services as required by board rule and statute. After the client agreed to secure a quitclaim deed from a neighbor, licensee returned to the site and moved the property survey line accordingly, for which he charged an additional $878.30. As before, licensee failed to provide a written confirmation to the client regarding the additional work. Additionally, the client did not receive a plan from licensee. Licensee admitted that he had not confirmed in writing the terms of his employment regarding the survey and subsequent work.
Licensee had been previously disciplined by the board on a number of occasions for violations that included failing to provide written confirmation of proposed services to a landowner, and had also been disciplined by the Board of Licensure of Foresters for a similar violation. The violations in this proceeding were knowing and intentional. The board issued licensee a reprimand, and revoked the license for a period of 2 years to commence consecutive to the expiration of licensee's current license revocation. The board also ordered licensee to pay $1652.44 hearing costs.
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2004
CURTIS, J. ROBERT
License Number: PLS20000670
License Type: Professional Land Surveyor
Complaint Number: LS-189
Disposition: Decision and Order 8/26/04
Summary: On May 13, 2002, licensee agreed to survey six lots owned by client, to place iron rods with ID caps at all corners, to provide a plan suitable for recording, and to deliver a new legal description of the subject lots. All work was to be completed by July 15, 2002. By June 24, 2002, complainant had paid licensee $9,000 of the $12,000 contract price, the balance of which was due upon completion.
By September 30, 2003, licensee had not completed the surveys or provided complainant with any of the contracted-for work product. Licensee refused to return to complainant supporting documents which complainant had loaned to licensee to help licensee perform the agreement. Licensee claimed that he did not return complainant's papers because complainant owed licensee an additional $3000+ for additional work that was not included in the written agreement. The board found that the so-called additional work was included in the written agreement, and that in any event the claim for additional payment violated a board rule requiring that any modifications to the written agreement must also be in writing. The board further found that licensee's failure to complete the contracted-for work and his failure to return complainant's papers constituted unprofessional conduct.
The board suspended the license for a minimum period of one year, and ordered that the suspension shall continue beyond one year unless and until licensee takes and passes the Maine Specific Exam of the board. The board also ordered licensee to return complainant's property to him, and further ordered licensee to pay $1300 hearing costs.
PUTNAM, EUGENE L.
License Number: PLS20001184
License Type: Professional Land Surveyor
Complaint Number: LS-186
Disposition: Decision and Order dated 7/2/04
Summary: Licensee failed to give clients a written confirmation of services, including fees, prior to the commencement of work. After one misunderstanding concerning licensee's preliminary charges, licensee and clients agreed on the final bottom line cost of $2800 for the survey. Following completion of the survey and payment by the clients, clients requested a copy of the survey plan. Licensee refused and stated that the plan was not included in the $2800 fee and would cost an additional $400. Licensee violated rules of the board that required licensee to provide the written confirmation of services, and a report or plan of the survey.
Licensee had a disciplinary history that included five appearances before the board during the past six years. The board revoked the license for two years, following which licensee may apply for relicensure. The board also ordered licensee to pay $1235 hearing costs.
[NOTE: As of 12/16/04, case was on appeal to Seventh District Court, Division of Southern Kennebec.]
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2003
BELLWOOD, JEFF A.
License Number: SIT10002326
License Type: Land Surveyor in Training
Complaint Number: LS-177
Disposition: Consent Agreement dated 10/7/03
Summary: Complaint charged licensee, while a land surveyor in training, with holding himself out as a professional land surveyor or offering to perform land surveying as a corporation that employed only a land surveyor in training. Licensee neither admitted nor denied the allegations, but conceded that grounds for a finding of violation existed. Licensee agreed to refrain from holding himself out as "Oxford Survey Company" until such time as he is licensed as a professional land surveyor. The board agreed to permit licensee to sit for the written examination required for licensure as a professional land surveyor, contingent upon receipt of an amended application from licensee.
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2002
DOWNEY, PATRICK J.
License Number: SR20002315
License Type: Professional Land Surveyor
Case Number: LS-164
Disposition: Consent Agreement dated 8/6/02
Summary: Licensee agreed that he violated the technical standards of practice with regard to standard boundary surveys by failing to list all documents relevant to the survey and by failing to include deed calls on the survey plan. Licensee agreed to file an affidavit, approved by the board complaint officer, with the Registry of Deeds providing the information that licensee omitted from the subdivision survey plan that he prepared.
GRAY, LANE H.
License Number: SR10002140
License Type: Professional Land Surveyor
Case Number: LS-167
Disposition: Board Order dated 8/28/02
Summary: Licensee performed a survey of adjoining parcels of land for the respective owners of those parcels. Licensee committed 4 violations of board rules primarily relating to conflict of interest that arose when one of the clients questioned licensee's conclusion as to the location of the common boundary between the two properties. Licensee was issued four reprimands, one for each violation; was ordered to complete 6 hours of continuing professional education in surveyors' ethics; and was ordered to pay $1091 for costs incurred by the board. The board also suspended the license for 90 days for each of the 4 violations, for a total of 360 days, but ordered the suspensions held in abeyance and placed licensee on probation for 1 year.
[Note: Case is on appeal to Superior Court]
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2001
HARRIMAN, Malcolm E.
License Number: SR20001259
License Type: Land Surveyor
Case Number: LS-150
Disposition: Consent Agreement dated 4/24/01
Summary: Licensee admitted to engaging in unprofessional conduct and violating board rules. Licensee was issued a reprimand and a $100 civil penalty.
PUTNAM, Eugene L.
License Number: SR20001184
License Type: Professional Land Surveyor
Case Number: LS-141
Disposition: Board Order dated 3/1/01
Summary: Clients hired licensee, who was also a licensed forester, to develop a forest management plan. Licensee performed the services requested, but also performed survey work that the client had not requested. The clients refused to pay for the unauthorized work, and the licensee unsuccessfully attempted to obtain payment through Small Claims Court. The board concluded that licensee violated a board rule requiring licensees to counsel clients regarding the purpose, scope and related costs of any surveying work to be done. Licensee was issued a reprimand and a $500 civil penalty.
(See also the entry for Eugene L. Putnam in the 2000 listings for the Board of Licensure of Foresters.)
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2000
NOTHING TO REPORT
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Last Updated:
March 13, 2009
