CASE 6.3.2Legal Land Descriptions

FRIDAY, 9/21/12• Objectives:

• All property is legally defined and recorded based on a standardized regulatory system.

• Describe parcels of land using the rectangular survey system and the metes and bounds system.

• Bellwork:• With the pieces of land that you claimed yesterday,

which was easiest to describe for the land descriptions that you submitted? Why?

Why Legally Define Land?

• Land is sold as private property in the United States

• Selling land requires a description of property boundaries and size

US Systems of Land Description

• Metes and Bounds• Uses physical features of geography• Used by original colonial states and some

others• Rectangular Surveys

• Also known as Public Land Survey System• Use meridians and baselines to divide land

• Lot-and-Block System• Plat system• Used in town and cities to define small

parcels

Metes and Bounds

• Metes – boundaries defined by measurement, include distance and direction

• Bounds – general boundary description such as waterways, roads, existing structure, and other physical markers

• Three major parts are:• Starting point• Courses • Distances

Metes and Bounds

• Starting points are natural or artificial monuments.

• Courses are defined as a direction from one point to another and measured in a straight line.

• Borders can be irregular due to rivers, lakes, or other natural boundaries

Starting point

Dis

tanc

e

Rectangular Survey

• Set as the way of defining boundaries in the United States in 1785

• Provided for an easily understood description of land that could be used to determine size

• Divides land into tracts, townships, sections, quarter sections and so on.

Rectangular Survey

• Townships located with:• A north-south line called a principle meridian.• An east-west line called a base line.• Crossing point is called the initial point.

Initial Point

Meridian

Base Line

Rectangular Survey

• A tract is 24 square miles • Divided into 16 townships.

• “range” lines – division of base lines• “tier” lines – division of meridians

Base LineT1N

R1W

Rectangular Survey

• Each township is 6 miles by 6 miles

• Townships are divided into sections

• There are 36 sections in a township

• 1 section = 1 square mile (640 acres)

6 5 4 3 2 1

7 8 9 10 11 12

18 17 16 15 14 13

19 20 21 22 23 24

30 29 28 27 26 25

31 32 33 34 35 36

Township T3N, R3E

Notice the method of numbering

• Sections are divided into plots/parcels of land measured in partial section or acres.

½ section 320 acres

W1/2

¼ section 160 acres

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

HCan you determine the acreage and legal description for each parcel?

Check for Understanding

•What are the advantages/disadvantages of the rectangular survey system?

•What are the disadvantages/advantages of the metes and bounds system?