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Flashcards in Land Description Deck (24)
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1
Q

Legal description

A

A detailed way of describing a parcel of land for documents such as deeds and mortgages that will be excepted in a court of law. The description is based on information collected through a survey.

2
Q

Survey

A

The process by which boundaries are measured by calculating the dimensions and area to determine the exact location of a piece of land. It is legally sufficient if it allows a surveyor to locate the parcel. To locate means of the surveyor must be able to to find the exact boundaries.

3
Q

3 basic methods used to describe real estate

A
  • meters and bounds
  • rectangular (or government) survey
  • lot and block (recorded plat)
4
Q

Torrents system

A

Created by Robert Torrens in Australia in 1858. It is issued and granted by the state that identifies properties.

5
Q

Metes-and-bounds method

A

Land description that is the oldest town in the US. It was used in the original 13 colonies. Metes means to measure and bounds means linear directions. Relies on a property’s physical features to determine the boundaries and measures of the parcel. Starts at a designated place on the parcel called the point of beginning. This is where it also ends.

6
Q

Monuments

A

Fixed objects used to identify the POB, all corners the parcel or ends of boundary segments, and the location of intersecting boundaries. Usually iron pins or concrete posts placed by the US Army Corps of Engineers, gov departments, or trained private surveyors. Include words such as MORE or LESS.

7
Q

Rectangular survey system

A

Aka government survey system: established by congress in 1785 to standardize the description of land acquired by the newly formed federal government. By dividing the land into rectangles, the survey provided land descriptions by describing the rectangles in which the land was located. System is based on two sets of intersecting lines: principal meridians and base lines.

8
Q

Principle meridians

A

Run north and south in the rectangular survey system

9
Q

Base lines

A

Run east and west in the rectangular survey system.

10
Q

Township lines

A

Lines that run east and west, parallel to the base line and six miles apart. They form strips of land called tiers. Designated by consecutive numbers north or south of the base line.

11
Q

Ranges

A

Land on either side of a principle meridian is divided into six mile wide strips by lines that run north and south, parallel to the meridian. Also designated by consecutive numbers

12
Q

Townships

A

The basic units of the rectangular survey system. It is 6 miles square and contains 36 square miles.

13
Q

Sections

A

Townships are subdivided into sections and subsections called halves and quarters, which can be further divided. Each townships contains 36 sections each one square mile or 640 acres, (43560 square feet). They are numbered 1-36. Go from upper right hand corner and move back and forth, downward.
Section 16 was always set aside for school purpose so it’s called school section

14
Q

Lot and block method

A

Aka recorded plat method. This system uses lot and block numbers referred to in a plat map filed in the public records of the county where the land is located. The plat map is a map of a town, a section, or a subdivision, indicating the location and boundaries of individual properties. Mostly used in subdivisions and urban areas.

15
Q

Survey

A

States the property’s legal description.

16
Q

The survey sketch

A

Shows the location and dimensions of the parcel.

17
Q

Survey spot

A

Shows the location, size, and shape of buildings in the lot.

18
Q

Datum

A

A point, line, or surface from which elevations are measured or indicated. The mean sea level at NY harbor. Used to determine the height of a structure or establishing the grade of a street.

19
Q

Monuments

A

Used to mark surface measurements between points.

20
Q

Benchmarks

A

Monuments that have been established as permanent reference points throughout the US.

21
Q

ILC

A

Less precise analysis found in improvement location certificate.

22
Q

Sections breakdown

A

Divided into halves (320 acres) and quarters (160). In turn, each quarter is divided into halves and quarters. Southeast quarter of a section (160 acres) abbreviated SE1/4
The SE1/4 of SE 1/4 of SE1/4 of section 1 would be 10 acres.

23
Q

Adding metes-and-bounds within the rectangular survey system.

A

1) when describing an irregular tract; 2) when a tract is too small to be described by quarter sections; or 3)when a tract does not follow the lot or block lines of a recorded subdivision or section, quarter section lines, or other fractional section lines.

24
Q

Cadastral data content standard.

A

Was created by the federal geographic data committee to integrate information found in publicly available land records.