Legal descriptions: metes and bounds, government survey, and recorded maps

Identifying the land

A legal description distinguishes a parcel from other land. A street address helps locate a building, and an assessor's parcel number identifies a tax record, but neither should be assumed to replace an adequate legal description. Survey dimensions and acreage in this lesson are nominal unless actual measurements are given.

Metes and bounds

Metes and bounds follows boundary calls using directions, distances, and monuments. Metes refers to measurements; bounds refers to boundaries. Establish the point of beginning, trace the parcel boundary, and return to that point. A preliminary course reaching the point of beginning need not be a parcel boundary. Monuments can be natural, such as a rock, or artificial, such as a survey marker. A bearing of north 30 degrees east turns 30 degrees eastward from north; it is a direction, not a distance. Conflicting boundary calls require professional resolution rather than assuming the stated distance controls.

Government rectangular survey

Principal meridians and base lines provide reference axes. Township tiers are counted north or south of the base line; ranges are counted east or west of the principal meridian. A township is 6 miles square and contains 36 sections. A section is 1 mile square, or 640 acres. Section numbering begins at the northeast corner and runs back and forth through successive rows.

An aliquot part is a fractional subdivision of a section. Read nested fractions from right to left to locate a parcel: the NE 1/4 of the SW 1/4 lies within the southwest quarter. Calculate its area as 640 × 1/4 × 1/4 = 40 acres. One acre equals 43,560 square feet.

Recorded maps

A recorded-map description identifies the lot, block when applicable, and the particular recorded map with its recording reference. The map supplies parcel configuration and dimensions. A bare lot number is insufficient: many maps contain Lot 12. Lot numbers, section numbers, and tax parcel numbers serve different systems. Recognize the system before deciding what locating information or arithmetic the question requires.