RP UNIT5 Flashcards
What is a legal description of a parcel of property?
The exact location of the parcel according to an established system
What is the purpose of the metes-and-bounds method?
To describe the boundaries of a parcel of land using specific measurements and directions
What must a metes-and-bounds description include?
- A specific point of beginning (POB)
- Measurements
- Linear boundaries
- Complete enclosure of the area
What are monuments in the context of land description?
Fixed objects used to identify the POB, corners of the parcel, or ends of boundary segments
When was the rectangular survey system established?
1785
What are the two intersecting lines in the rectangular survey system?
- Principal meridians (north and south)
- Base lines (east and west)
How are township lines arranged in the rectangular survey system?
They are six miles apart and run east and west parallel to the base line
What are ranges in the rectangular survey system?
Six-mile-wide strips of townships numbered east and west of the principal meridian
What is the size of a township in the rectangular survey system?
Six miles square, containing 36 square miles or 23,040 acres
How many sections are there in a township?
36 sections
What is the size of each section in the rectangular survey system?
One square mile or 640 acres
Which section is commonly referred to as the school section?
Section 16
What are the three situations where metes-and-bounds descriptions are used within the rectangular survey system?
- Tract is irregular
- Tract is too small for quarter sections
- Tract does not follow lot or block lines
What does the lot-and-block system use for land description?
A recorded subdivision plat map
What is the significance of a survey sketch?
It shows the location and dimensions of the parcel
What do condominium laws require regarding property rights?
A legal definition of the horizontal property rights included with each unit (air lots)
What is a datum in land surveying?
The point of reference for measuring elevations
What does the United States Geological Survey (USGS) use as a datum?
Mean sea level in New York Harbor
What is the definition of a mile in feet?
5,280 feet
What is the size of a square mile in acres?
640 acres
What is the size of an acre in square feet?
43,560 square feet
True or False: Benchmarks are monuments established as permanent reference points.
True
