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New Survey and Land description Flashcards

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1
Q

How many inches are in one foot?

A

12 inches

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2
Q

How many feet are in one yard?

A

Three feet

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3
Q

How many feet are in one mile?

A

5,280 feet

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4
Q

How many square feet are in one square yard?

A

Nine square feet

(3 ft × 3 ft)

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5
Q

How many square feet are in one acre?

A

43,560 square feet

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6
Q

What is a section in land measurement?

A

One square mile, 5,280 feet on each side, containing 640 acres

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7
Q

How many cubic feet are in one cubic yard?

A

27 cubic feet

(3 ft × 3 ft × 3 ft)

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8
Q

What is a legal description?

A

A written description of a property’s boundaries and location, used in legal documents to define ownership unambiguously.

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9
Q

Why are legal descriptions used instead of street addresses?

A

They provide precise boundaries and location details for courts to determine ownership, unlike informal street addresses.

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10
Q

Where do legal descriptions appear?

A

On deeds and publicly recorded legal documents.

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11
Q

What are the three main methods of land description in the U.S.?

A

Metes and bounds, lot and block, and rectangular (government) survey system.

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12
Q

What is the metes and bounds system?

A

A survey system using points of reference (e.g., “west of Fiona Smith’s stone wall”) and directional indicators to identify a property’s boundaries.

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13
Q

What is the lot and block system?

A

A legal description referring to a lot and block number within a subdivision, as shown on a recorded plat (e.g., “Lawndale, Block 4, Lot 6”).

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14
Q

What is the rectangular (government) survey system?

A

A survey system describing land by principal meridians and baselines (e.g., “SW1/4 NW1/4 S13, T1SR20E” for the southwest quarter of the northwest quarter of Section 13, Township 1 South, Range 20 East).

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15
Q

Where is the rectangular survey system not used?

A

Original 13 colonies, Texas, West Virginia, and Kentucky.

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16
Q

What is the monument system?

A

A survey system using a permanent physical, man-made, or natural feature (e.g., a boulder near the town square) as the point of beginning.

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17
Q

What is a survey in real estate?

A

A blueprint or map showing a property’s measurements, boundaries, and area, often required by lenders to ensure no encroachments exist (e.g., verifying boundary lines for a mortgage).

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18
Q

Why might a survey be required?

A

To verify, clarify, correct, or create a legal description and ensure no encroachments or boundary issues exist.

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19
Q

What happens if a survey is not performed?

A

Title defects discoverable by a survey may not be covered by title insurance.

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20
Q

What is an example of a metes and bounds starting point?

A

A reference like “west of the widow Fiona Smith’s stone wall” or a specific monument.

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21
Q

What is the rectangular (government) survey system?

A

A survey system (Public Land Survey System) dividing land into 6x6-mile townships and 1-mile-square sections, using principal meridians and baselines, regulated by the Bureau of Land Management.

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22
Q

Where is the rectangular survey system used, and where is it not?

A

Used in 30 western/southern states, including Florida; not used in original 13 colonies (except Florida), Texas, West Virginia, or Kentucky.

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23
Q

What is a township in the rectangular survey system?

Study These Flashcards
A

A 6x6-mile square (36 square miles) divided into 36 sections, identified by tract, section, township, and range numbers.

24
Q

What is a section in the rectangular survey system?

Study These Flashcards
A

A 1-mile-square unit (640 acres), 1/36th of a township, with mile-long sides.

25
What is a principal meridian in the rectangular survey system?
An imaginary north-south line crossing a baseline, used as a reference to locate range lines and describe land (e.g., one of 37 prime meridians).
26
What is a base line in the rectangular survey system?
An imaginary east-west line crossing a principal meridian, used to measure townships north or south (e.g., Township 6 North from the baseline).
27
How is a property described in the rectangular survey system?
By township, range, section, and subdivisions (e.g., “SW1/4 NW1/4 S13, T1SR20E” for the southwest quarter of the northwest quarter of Section 13, Township 1 South, Range 20 East).
28
What are township and range lines in the rectangular survey system?
Township lines run east-west, and range lines run north-south, measured from a baseline and principal meridian to locate townships (e.g., Township 6, Range 1 West).
29
What is the Public Land Survey System (PLSS)?
Another name for the rectangular survey system, used to survey federally owned land, dividing it into townships and sections.
30
Who regulates the rectangular survey system?
The Bureau of Land Management under the U.S. Department of the Interior.
31
How are townships subdivided in the rectangular survey system?
Into 36 one-mile-square sections (640 acres each), then into quarter sections, quarter-quarter sections, or irregular government lots.
32
What is the total area of a township?
36 square miles or 23,040 acres (6 miles × 6 miles).
33
How many principal meridians are used in the national survey?
37 principal meridians, used to distinguish various surveys in the rectangular survey system.
34
What is a survey, and why is it important?
A blueprint/map showing a property’s measurements, boundaries, and area, often required by lenders to verify boundaries and ensure no encroachments; without one, title defects may not be covered by title insurance.
35
What is an example of a metes and bounds starting point?
A reference like “west of the widow Fiona Smith’s stone wall” or a specific monument.
36
What is an example of a rectangular survey system description?
“SW1/4 NW1/4 S13, T1SR20E” (southwest quarter of the northwest quarter of Section 13, Township 1 South, Range 20 East).
37
38
What are metes in property descriptions?
The direction and distance of a line forming the boundary of the property ## Footnote Metes are measured using a compass to indicate cardinal directions and angles.
39
What do bounds refer to in property descriptions?
The physical features that define the boundaries of the land ## Footnote Common bounds references include trees, creeks, and neighboring landowners.
40
What is the significance of the point of beginning in metes and bounds descriptions?
It is the reference point from which the rest of the description is based ## Footnote If the point of beginning is not easily identifiable, the description is not useful.
41
Who performs the survey that provides the language and numbers for metes and bounds descriptions?
A licensed land surveyor ## Footnote Surveyors are trained to accurately measure and describe property boundaries.
42
Fill in the blank: Metes and bounds descriptions are frequently found in _______.
deeds
43
What cardinal directions are used to find the direction in metes?
North, south, east, west ## Footnote Directions may also include degrees between 0 and 90.
44
True or False: The language used in metes and bounds descriptions can include the names of trees and neighboring landowners.
True
45
What is an example of a metes and bounds description?
Beginning at a stake and stones about 30 feet from the center of the brook... ## Footnote This specific example illustrates how boundaries may be described in relation to landmarks.
46
What is a quick and secure way to describe property in the absence of a legal description?
Reference to a prior deed ## Footnote Ensure the seller has not sold part of the property, as this would invalidate the prior deed reference.
47
Can a street address serve as a legal description of property?
Yes, but it should be used as an additional way, not the only way ## Footnote Best used for informational purposes only.
48
What are personal identification numbers on tax maps?
Another way to identify property ## Footnote Tax maps are often prone to errors and can change.
49
What is the best practice for identifying property?
Include a valid legal description ## Footnote The order of priority with the courts is: plat reference (lot and block), metes and bounds, government survey.
50
What is the best legal description?
An accurate one ## Footnote Legal descriptions may conflict, and courts will resolve such conflicts.
51
True or False: A prior deed reference is always valid regardless of the seller's actions.
False ## Footnote If the seller has sold part of the property, the prior deed reference is no longer valid.
52
Fill in the blank: The order of priority for legal descriptions is _____, metes and bounds, government survey.
plat reference (lot and block) ## Footnote This order is important for legal certainty in property identification.
53
What is condominium ownership?
Ownership of air space between the unit’s boundaries and a share in common areas.
54
What is required by condominium laws in all states regarding land used for condominiums?
The land must be surveyed by a registered land surveyor and a plat map must be prepared.
55
What does a plat map show in the context of condominiums?
Elevations of the floor and ceiling boundaries as well as the vertical boundaries of each unit.
56
What is a datum in relation to condominium measurements?
A data line, point or surface used as a reference for measurements instead of a point of beginning.
57
How is each floor of a condominium building typically documented?
Each floor has its own separate plat.

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