Module 4 - Metes & Bounds Flashcards
Legal Description
A legal description is like a very precise set of directions or coordinates that leaves no room for ambiguity. It’s the way land ownership is officially recorded and identified.
There are three main ways to create these “land directions” in the United States. Your state likely uses at least two, and sometimes all three, of these methods:
- Metes & Bounds
- Rectangular Survey System
- Lot & Block System
Generally, the longer the description, the smaller the land parcel it describes
Metes and Bounds
Metes and Bounds: This is the oldest system. Imagine following a path by describing its boundaries: “Start at the big oak tree, then go 100 feet east, then turn 90 degrees north and go 50 feet…” Metes are distances and directions, while bounds are landmarks or markers. This system is often used in older areas where land boundaries are irregular. It’s like giving directions using physical features as guides.
It starts at a point of beginning (POB) and uses directions (north, south, etc.) and distances (500 feet) to get to the property lines. It might also mention landmarks (big oak tree) to help find the corners.
This method is common on the East Coast and in some other states.
Metes are measures that include direction and distance. Bounds are the terminal points that in some cases are landmarks or monuments
Rectangular Survey System
Rectangular (Government) Survey System: This system divides land into a grid of townships, ranges, and sections. It’s like using a map with numbered squares. You can describe a piece of land by saying it’s in “Section 12, Township 3 North, Range 2 West.” This is very organized and efficient, especially for large areas. It’s like giving directions using a coordinate system.
There are 37 principal meridians in the U.S. Both principal meridians and baselines are referenced using degrees of longitude and latitude.
Townships:
A township is a square area of land defined by the intersection of township lines (running east and west, parallel to the baseline) and range lines (running north and south, parallel to the principal meridian).
**Size: **A township is approximately 6 miles by 6 miles (6 miles square), totaling 36 square miles.
Sections: Each township is further divided into 36 sections.
Section Size: Each section is approximately 1 mile by 1 mile and contains approximately 640 acres.
Summary of Township Characteristics:
* 6 miles x 6 miles Townships
* each section is divided by 1 mile squares
* 36 square miles (each approximately 640 acres)
This system relies on sets of intersecting lines:
* Principal Meridians and Baselines are the main reference lines.
* Township Lines and Range Lines create the grid, dividing the land into townships.
Tiers (Township Tiers): A tier is a row of these townships running east to west. If you were to look at the grid from the side, each row of squares would be a tier.
Township section numbering: Township Section Numbering: Starts top right (northeast corner), numbers across to the left, drops down, reverses direction, like a snake.
Lot and Block System
Lot and Block System: This system is commonly used for platted subdivisions (housing developments). Imagine a neighborhood with streets and numbered lots. You can describe a property by saying it’s “Lot 7, Block B, of the Maplewood Subdivision.” This is very simple and convenient for properties within a development. It’s like giving directions using a street address and lot number.
Also known as recorded plat, This describes a way to pinpoint land using a code based on maps. Imagine a neighborhood where each block has a letter or number, and each house within a block has a number too. This system works the same way, but for bigger areas that have been officially mapped and divided into lots and blocks.
Lots are contiguous, but the lot numbers don’t always coincide with the tax parcel number. Each lot has a number, but these numbers might not always match the tax ID number for that piece of land.
What is the size in acres of 1 section in a rectangular survey system (1 mile square)
640 Acres
What is the size in acres of a 1/2 section in a rectangular survey system (1 mile square)
320 Acres
What is the size in acres of a 1/4 section in a rectangular survey system (1 mile square)
160 acres
What is the size in acres of 1/4th of 1/4 section in a rectangular survey system (1 mile square)
40 Acres
What is the size in acres of 1/4th of 1/4th of a 1/4 section in a rectangular survey system (1 mile square)
10 Acres
What is the size in acres of 1/4th of 1/4th of 1/4th of a 1/4 section in a rectangular survey system (1 mile square)
2.5 Acres
What is a Standard Section?
Sections that are exactly 1-mile square are called standard sections.
What is a Fractional Section?
Undersized and oversized sections are known as fractional sections.
What are Government Lots?
Government lots are land areas that are not divided into quarters of a quarter due to location or size.
Government lots are the odd pieces left over. This can happen for a few reasons:
* Borders: Sometimes the township itself doesn’t fit perfectly because of the Earth’s roundness or because it bumps up against another state line. These leftover slivers along the edges become government lots.
* Water: If a big river or lake cuts through a township, it can leave odd-shaped pieces on the edges. These become government lots instead of neat squares.
Basically, government lots are the irregular leftover pieces that don’t fit the usual square sections because of the land’s shape or bodies of water.
In states using rectangular survey, it is common to find metes and bounds included within the government survey description for the following reasons:
The description involves an asymmetrical or irregular parcel of land.
The land parcel is simply too small to be described by quarter sections.
The described parcel does not follow recorded subdivision, section, or quarter section lines.
What are metes?
Metes are measures that include direction and distance.
What are bounds?
Bounds are the terminal points that in some cases are landmarks or monuments
Vertical Description
This method is used to identify air space rights at precise elevations.
Legal Documentation:
* The vertical description is incorporated into legal documents, such as deeds, easements, or leases.
* This ensures that the rights to the air space are clearly defined and legally enforceable.
Examples:
* A developer might purchase the air rights above a building from a certain floor level upwards, allowing them to construct additional stories. The vertical description would specify the exact elevation of the lower boundary of those air rights.
* A company might lease the right to place telecommunications equipment in the air space above a building’s roof. The vertical description would define the precise height and area of that space.
* A city might define the air space that a bridge occupies, to insure that no other construction infringes on that space.
Vertical Description would look like this:
Example:
“Air rights commencing at an elevation of 150 feet above mean sea level, and extending vertically to an elevation of 250 feet above mean sea level, within the horizontal boundaries of Lot 1, Block A, as recorded in Plat Book X, Page Y.”
