Section 5 - Legal Descriptions Flashcards
Legal Description Purpose and Methodology; Surveys and Elevations; Land Measurements and Calculations
Specifies the boundaries and location of a piece of real property.
Appears on deeds and other legal documents because the description is sufficient to adequately describe and define a property so the courts can correctly determine ownership boundaries.
LEGAL DESCRIPTION
A professional on-site measurement required to verify, clarify, correct, or create a legal description.
SURVEY
Uses compass headings and directions.
METES & BOUNDS
3 methods of legal description
Provides plat references.
LOT & BLOCK
3 methods of legal description
Divides the land surveyed into six-mile-square townships, which are further subdivided
RECTANGULAR (GOV”T) SURVEY SYSTEM
3 methods of legal description
The Simpsons are buying a five-acre tract that has always been part of a larger parcel. When the owners of the large acreage decided to subdivide it, they needed to have a legal description created for the five-acre lot. What was used as the starting point for creating that legal description?
A) A benchmark
B) A plat map
C) A survey
D) Metes
B) A plat map
A survey is used to create, verify, or correct a legal description. It’s a professional on-site measurement of the lot lines and dimensions of a property.
When Shauna looked at the legal description of the property she was interested in purchasing, she read the following: “Beginning at the corner of State Route 61 and Hallowell Road, north for 314 feet, then southwest for 193 feet.” In this description, what does “north for 314 feet” represent?
A) A benchmark
B) Bounds
C) Metes
D) Monuments
Metes.
Metes (measures) are the direction and distance of a line forming the boundary of the property.
The point from which the elevations are measured.
DATUM
What’s the permanent marker used primarily for marking datums when measuring elevation?
A) Benchmark
B) Monument
C) Point of the beginning
D) Sea level
Benchmark.
Benchmarks are permanent reference points used for marking datums.
10,000 square meters, or approximately 2.47 acres in U.S. measurements.
HECTARE
Land that contains 43,560 square feet.
ACRE
640 acres
SQUARE MILE
Usually a brass marker set into concrete that marks datum points.
BENCHMARK
Gabi owns one parcel measuring one square mile and another parcel measuring one mile x half a mile. She combined the parcels and sold them for $2.5 million. What price per acre did she receive for the land?
A) $1,953.13
B) $2,604.17
C) $3,125.00
D) $3,906.25
One square mile is 640 acres. The area of the second parcel is 5,280’ x 2,640’ = 13,939,200 sq. ft. Divide that by 43,560 (sq. ft. in an acre) to get 320 acres. 640 + 320 = 960 acres. $2.5 million divided by 960 acres = $2,604.17 per acre.
