Aerial Photos.

[Emulated]

I have 2 aerial photos about 1947 and 1970 which I need to be viewed by an expert in aerial photos to give me a clue to the boundary position. I was given the name of one person but he wanted 4 best quality pics from each CD and would only tell me it costs £140.00 +vat an hour to look and give his written opinion. How long would it take I asked? As long as it takes was the reply. Gee Whiz. Anybody know anyone who could help me?
Thanks

[Sudynim]

I have 2 aerial photos about 1947 and 1970 which I need to be viewed by an expert in aerial photos to give me a clue to the boundary position. I was given the name of one person but he wanted 4 best quality pics from each CD and would only tell me it costs £140.00 +vat an hour to look and give his written opinion. How long would it take I asked? As long as it takes was the reply. Gee Whiz. Anybody know anyone who could help me?
Thanks

You seem to have jumped the stage of whether his opinion would be valuable to you. Start by identifying expert witnesses who have recognised standing in this particular field. There is the 'UK Register of Expert Witnesses' at http://www.jspubs.com for example.

[Conveyancer]

There is indeed a danger of assuming that whatever this expert concludes will help establish (or indeed help disprove) your case, or at least add something that a surveyor cannot discover. Do not forget that the best he can do is comment on the position of apparent boundary features at different times and not on legal boundaries. I would have thought, though I stand to be corrected, that a competent surveyor should be able to "read" aerial photographs.

[Emulated]

Thanks for the information. I had an adjudicators decision and both sides believed it to be wrong and it was not registered. I managed to agree on a boundary with the neighbours but the neighbour changed his mind at the last minute. The aerial photos show a single gate and post for a pathway which has been made into a driveway over the years. The claim on the other side is the fence posts were in the centre of the hedge but measuring up from the original deeds it appears they are nearer the gate post.

[syckend]

In my experience a surveyor expert will not give evidence about aerial photographs unless he is competent in using the appropriate gadget that enables pairs of aerial photographs taken from a recognised height, to be viewed through it. Used correctly measurements of + or - a metre can be obtained.
However rogue 'experts' might still try to blind you with science and attempt to use aerial photographs taken eg from a low flying plane that can therefore give a distorted view.
Ordnance Survey department in Southampton used to have reliable experts but I think there have been changes there.
In a boundary dispute aerial photographs can be useful but are unlikely to resolve issues on their own.

[ben0239]

I managed to get 5 copies of aerial photographs from 1947 and every decade thereafter to 1998 from my local county archives center and it only cost me 2.40, so i would reccomend trying there first.

[arborlad]

. Anybody know anyone who could help me?
Thanks

I think I could*, and give you a fair appraisal of what I see but I don't have RICS after my name, which I'm fairly sure would be needed if this ends in court.

Additionally, anyone viewing the photos should ideally be the same person viewing all the relevant paperwork and visiting the site.

* Not offering.