Legal Descriptions and How the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) Evolved

Question 1

Define a legal description

Answer 1

A legal description of real property is one which accurately locates and identifies the boundaries of the subject parcel to a degree acceptable by courts of law in the state where the property is located

Question 2

What is the principal purpose of legal descriptions?

Answer 2

To create a consistent, unchanging standard for locating the property

Question 3

List the things a legal description is required for

Answer 3

• Public recording
• Creating a valid deed of conveyance or lease
• Completing mortgage docs
• Executing and recording other legal docs

Question 4

What does PLSS stand for?

What is another named for it?

Answer 4

Public Land Survey System

Rectangular Survery

Question 5

What is the PLSS used for?

Answer 5

Method traditionally used over the largest part of the US to survey and classify land parcels

Question 6

Is TX a public land state?

Answer 6

No. It has a hybrid of its own early system and it’s based on Spanish land grants and a variation of the PLSS