Chapter 10 - Legal Descriptions Flashcards
What is the purpose of a legal description?
To describe a particular piece of property in a way that uniquely identifies that parcel from any other parcel; is so specific that given only the legal description, a surveyor can locate and identify a given parcel
What is a patent?
The original deed; a certificate issued by the federal or a state government that transfers land to a private individual
What is the metes-and-bounds description?
The oldest type of survey method; metes refers to distance, bounds refers to direction; begins at an exact starting point (point of beginning)
What is the government survey system?
When the federal government decides to open an area for settlement, it commissions a survey for that entire area
What is the principal meridian and base line?
A beginning reference established in the center of the territory to be surveyed
Principal meridian is the intersection of a north-south line
Base line is the intersection of an east/west line
What are range lines?
Vertical (north south) lines parallel to the principal meridian every six miles
What are township lines?
Horizontal (east west) lines parallel to the base line every six miles
What is township?
The six mile squares formed by the crossing of range lines and township lines
What are sections?
Each township is divided into 36 sections; each section is one square mile or 640 acres
What are lot and block numbers?
Most common type of legal description used for single-family dwellings located in developed subdivisions
Can only be used where plat maps have been recorded in the public records
The platted subdivision is divided into large areas called blocks, and each block is subdivided into smaller areas called lots
The NW1/4 of the NE1/4 of the SW1/4, Section 20, Township 4 South, Range 2 East, describes a tract of:
10 acres
In the metes-and-bounds method of description:
Metes refers to distance and bounds refers to direction
The government survey system is especially adapted to describing:
Land in concise symbols and words
The tract of land located inside a square formed by intersecting range lines and township lines is called a:
Township
Which statement is false concerning townships?
A township contains 36 acres
What statements are true concerning townships?
A township contains 36 sections, 36 square miles
Dean owned the NW1/4 of a section. He sold the W1/2 of that NW1/4. How many acres does Dean still own?
80 acres
What is the starting point called in a metes and bounds description?
POB
A lot that measured 330’ x 198’ sold for $30,000. What was the cost per acre?
$20,000
330’ x 198’ = 65,340
65,340 / 43,560 (amount of square feet in 1 acre) = 1.5 acres
$30,000 / 1.5 = $20,000
How many acres are there in a 1/8 mile squared?
10 acres
640 / 8 = 80 / 8 = 10
Beginning at the SE corner of the intersection of Olive and 270; thence south 350 feet; thence west 350 feet; thence north 400 feet; thence east 400 feet. Is this an adequate legal description?
No; all legal descriptions must return to the POB
The description that follows contains how many acres? “The NE 1/4 of the NE 1/4 of Section 20.”
40 acres
640 / 4 = 160 / 4 = 40
Objects used by surveyors in legal descriptions are:
Monuments
Which of the following would never be included as part of a legal description?
Street address
Because of the curvature of the earth, it is necessary to compensate for the changes in the lines through the use of:
Correction lines
