Transfer of Property: Types of Survey

Question 1

Land and Survey Description

Answer 1

A full legal description of the land is the properties address, a survey of the land an drafts of the land description (size, shape and improvements on lot).
Types: 
1. Metes and Bounds 
2. Lot and Block 
3. Government Rectangular Survey

Question 2

Metes and Bounds Survey

Answer 2

Key words: Lot lines, directions, distances, monuments

Most common
Outlines the lot lines (boundaries of the property by bounds (directions) and metes (distances) between monuments or benchmarks

Example: A plot of land located in Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, beginning at the intersection of Canal and Causeway
Street, running south along Canal Street 304 feet, West to Friend Street 150 feet more or less, North to the intersection of
Causeway Street and Friend Street, then East along Causeway Street to the intersection of Canal and Causeway Street.”

Question 3

Datum

Answer 3

a point used to measure elevations

Question 4

Plat Maps

Answer 4

Lot and block survey

They are recorded plans for a subdivision or municipality and use the lot and block method

Ex. Lot 43, Block 17, Green acre homes in the city o Portlands, according to the plat therof, recording volume 6 of plats, page 84 Multnomah County, Oregon

Question 5

Government Rectangular Survey I - Description

Answer 5

Known as a Public Survey system or rectangular survey system,

• Used to standardize land descriptions
• Not used in the original 13 colonies
• 37 principal meridians in US each referenced by a number and no parcel of land is described using more than one meridian

Question 6

Government Rectangular Survey II

Tiers

Answer 6

Also known as township lines that intersect

The squares it creates are known as township

Question 7

Units Used in the survey that most likely will be on the exam

Answer 7

-Rod = 16 feet 6 inches

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Question 8

How big is a Township

Answer 8

6 miles by 6miles containing 36square miles (23,040 acres)

Question 9

Know the chart to Rectangular survey

Answer 9

pg 54 in handbooks

Question 10

Know the chart to survey dimensions

Answer 10

pg 51 in handbook

Question 11

What is a township

Answer 11

6miles by 6miles

contains 36square miles (23,040 acres)

Question 12

Title Insurance

Answer 12

Insurance policy for protections against undiscoverable title defects.
Protects against unseen problems with ownership not seen in title search (examples: forged deed, undisclosed heirs, etc.)

Doesn’t cover issues with zoning or public restrictions that have been recorded.

• Buyers typically want to purchase marketable titles because then there are no other preventions to keeping property.
• One time payment at closing

Question 13

Title insurance companies

Answer 13

Perform own title searches using internal software, called title plants

Question 14

Torrens System (Land Court)

Answer 14

A way of adressing conflicts about property ownershps by holding hearings

• It is a lawsuit typically
• Once Land Court decides who owns the property they issue a Certificate of tTitle, which registers the land

Question 15

Lot and Block Survey

Answer 15

Plat maps, recording plans for subdivision or municipality
Block method where streets are blocks
Blocks are subdivided into lots