9. Legal Descriptions Flashcards
AIR LOT
A designated airspace over a piece of land. An air lot, like surface property, may be transferred.
BASE LINE
The main imaginary line running east and west and crossing a principal meridian at a definite point, used by surveyors for reference in locating and describing land under the rectangular (government) survey system of legal description.
BENCHMARK
A permanent reference mark or point established for use by surveyors in measuring differences in elevation.
CORRECTION LINES
Provisions in the rectangular survey (government survey) system made to compensate for the curvature of the earth’s surface. Every fourth township line (at 24-mile intervals) is used as a correction line on which the intervals between the north and south range lines are remeasured and corrected to a full six miles.
DATUM
A horizontal plane from which heights and depths are measured.
FRACTIONAL SECTION
A parcel of land less than 160 acres, usually found at the edge of a rectangular survey.
GOVERNMENT CHECK
The 24-mile-square parcels composed of 16 townships in the rectangular (government) survey system of legal description.
GOVERNMENT LOT
Fractional sections in the rectangular (government) survey system that are less than one quarter-section in area.
LEGAL DESCRIPTIONS
A description of a specific parcel of real estate complete enough for an independent surveyor to locate and identify it.
LOT-AND-BLOCK (RECORDED PLAT) SYSTEM
A method of describing real property that identifies a parcel of land by reference to lot and block numbers within a subdivision, as specified on a recorded subdivision plat.
METES-AND-BOUNDS DESCRIPTION
A legal description of a parcel of land that begins at a well-marked point and follows the boundaries, using directions and distances around the tract, back to the place of beginning.
MONUMENT
A fixed natural or artificial object used to establish real estate boundaries for a metes-and-bounds description.
PLAT MAP
A map of a town, section, or subdivision indicating the location and boundaries of individual properties.
POINT OF BEGINNING (POB)
In a metes-and-bounds legal description, the starting point of the survey, situated in one corner of the parcel; all metes-and-bounds descriptions must follow the boundaries of the parcel back to the point of beginning.
PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN
The main imaginary line running north and south and crossing a base line at a definite point, used by surveyors for reference in locating and describing land under the rectangular (government) survey system of legal description.
