Ch. 10 Real Estate

Legal Description

A series of boundary lines on the earth's surface.

The SW¼, NE¼, SE¼, NW¼ of a certain section contains how many acres?

4 × 4 × 4 × 4 = 256 640 ÷ 256 = 2.5 acres

Mile

5,280 feet in length

Each section is one square mile or ___ acres

640

The SW¼, NE¼, SE¼, NW¼ of a certain section contains how many acres?

640 ÷ 4 ÷ 4 ÷ 4 ÷ 4 = 2.5 acres

What term is used to describe fractional pieces of land less than a full quarter section located along the banks of lakes and streams? a.Government Lot b.Check c.partial section d.Government section

A GOVERNMENT LOT: A government lot is composed of fractional pieces of land less than a full quarter section located along the banks of lakes and streams.

An acre contains 44,575 square feet.

False: An acre contains 43,560 square feet.

Township T3S, R2E is located in the second tier south of the base line and the third range east of the principal meridian.

False: Township T3S, R2E is located in the third tier south of the base line and the second range east of the principal meridian.

A property costs $34,848 per acre. What is the cost per square foot of the property? A. $0.50 B. $0.80 C. $0.75 D. $0.35

B. $0.80 : $34,848 / 43560 = $0.80

Imaginary lines running east and west and crossing a principal meridian at a definite point; used by surveyors for reference in locating and describing land under the government survey system.

Base Line

A permanent reference mark (PRM) affixed to an iron post or brass marker that is embedded in the sidewalk or street, used to establish elevations and altitudes above sea level on surveyed parcels

benchmark

Which direction describes a range? A.DIAGONAL B.SQUARE C.VERTICAL D.HORIZONTAL

VERTICAL: Ranges are vertical (north-south) strips of land parallel to the principal meridian.

A section contains 640 acres.

The statement is true. A section is one mile on each side containing one square mile or 640 acres.

A numerical ID assigned to each parcel of land within a tax district used to prepare tax maps.(PID)

parcel id or assessor's parcel number

The beginning reference is the intersection of a north-south line called a

principal meridian

Imaginary lines running north and south and crossing a base line at a definite point; used by surveyors for reference in locating and describing land under the government survey system.

principle meridian

Probably the most common type of legal description used for single-family dwellings located in developed subdivisions is the ____________ and __________ (recorded plat) method of land description.

lot and block

is the oldest method of land description.

metes-and-bounds description

Each resulting six-mile-wide horizontal (east-west) strip of land on either side of the BL is called a tier or simply township. To help remember that tiers are horizontal strips, think of the tiers of a wedding cake.

true

In writing a legal description of a section, it is customary to show the section number first, then the township tier number and direction, and last the range number and direction.

true

Quarter sections contain 160 acres.

true

There are 20 acres in the legal description S 1/2 of the SE 1/4 of the NE 1/4 of section 10.

true: 640 ÷ 2 ÷ 4 ÷ 4 = 20 acres.

Each parcel of land on a tax map is assigned an assessor's parcel number.

true: Each parcel is assigned a parcel ID (PID) number or assessor's parcel number by the county property appraiser's office.

Range lines run north and south (vertical lines) six miles apart.

true: Range lines are vertical (north-south) lines parallel to the principal meridian every six miles.

Description of lot and block numbers is a type of legal description.

true: The most common type of legal description used for single-family dwellings located in developed subdivisions is the lot and block method of land description.

There are three types of legal descriptions used today:

(1) metes-and-bounds (2) government survey system (3) lot and block descriptions.

Each township is further divided into ____sections

36

How many acres are in a parcel described as the SW¼ of the NE¼ and the SE¼ of the S½? A. 120 B. 2.5 C. 5 D. 80

120 : 640 ÷ 4 ÷ 4 = 40 acres; 640 ÷ 4 ÷ 2 = 80 acres; 40 + 80 = 120 acres.

How many square feet are in 2.5 acres?

2.5 acres × 43,560 square feet = 108,900 total square feet

Which range is farthest from the intersection of the principal meridian and the base line? a.R22W b.R1E c.R10W d.R12E

A. R22W The answer is R22W. The farther from the principal meridian, the larger the number of the range.

Which description BEST fits if one were to shade in sections 14, 15, 16, and 17 of a township? A. RECTANGLE B. VERTICAL LINE C. DIAGONAL LINE D. SQUARE

A. RECTANGLE : The sections are contiguous and form a horizontal strip that is longer on two sides, forming a rectangle.

A line pointed in the direction opposite North 20 degrees East is A. WEST 20 DEGREES SOUTH B.SOUTH 20 DEGREES WEST C.SOUTH 40 DEGREES EAST D.NORTH 20 DEGREES WEST

B. SOUTH 20 DEGREES WEST : The line opposite North 20 degrees East is South 20 degrees West. The number of degrees does not change, only the compass directions.

Which method of legal description is used in subdivisions and is contained in recorded plat maps? a.Metes and Bounds b.Monuments c.Lot and block d.Government survey

C. Lot and block: The lot and block method is used for single-family dwellings located in developed subdivisions where plat maps have been recorded in the public records.

Which government office assigns parcel ID numbers to land within a tax district? A. CITY COMMISSION B. COUNTY CLERK C.PROPERTY APPRAISER D. TAX COLLECTOR

C. PROPERTY APPRAISER: Each parcel is assigned a parcel ID number by the county property appraiser's office.

A square 24 miles on each side created by intersecting guide meridians and correction lines; used to adjust the grid pattern of squares because of the curvature of the earth. A check contains 16 townships.

Check

are used to describe the direction of a parcel's boundary lines.

Compass bearings

Which partial description describes a vertical strip of land six miles wide that touches where the principal meridian and base line intersect? a.Range 2 West b.Township 1 West c.Township 1 East d.Range 1 East

D. RANGE 1 EAST: Townships are north or south of the intersecting point; ranges are east or west of the intersecting point. Range 1 East is the first vertical strip of land east of the principal meridian and touches the intersecting point.

Metes refers to_____ (MEASURED IN FEET) bounds refers to ______

DISTANCE, DIRECTION

A survey of real property is a questionnaire about the property's location.

FALSE : A survey is a drawing of a parcel of land showing its boundary lines and includes the legal description of the property.

Fractional pieces of land less than a full quarter section located along the banks of lakes and streams. Government lots were identified by a specific lot number, which became the legal description for that parcel.

Government Lot

A type of land description, developed by the federal government for subdividing lands using surveying lines.

Government Survey System

A method of legal description that identifies a property by specifying the shape and boundary dimensions of the parcel. A metes-and-bounds description starts at the point of beginning and follows the boundaries of the land by compass direction and linear measurements and returns to the point of beginning.

Metes-and-bounds Description

Man-made or natural object used to establish boundaries of land.

Monument

The surveyor identifies each corner of the parcel with a visible marker called a

Monument

There are five additional purposes of surveying property and developing legal descriptions for each parcel:

Obtain current and accurate boundary information required to write a legal description Establish the exact quantity of area within a described tract, whether described in square miles, acres, or square feet Reestablish boundaries that may have become lost or obliterated Obtain data required to divide a large tract into smaller units for development and sale Identify and describe encroachments, if any

160 acres, measuring 2,640 feet by 2,640 feet. Historically, it was the area of land originally granted to a homesteader. Today, the 160 acres is still used to establish the limits of homesteaded property outside the boundaries of municipality.

Quarter Section

One of the primary units of measurement in the government survey system of land description. A section is one mile square and contains 640 acres.

Section

The procedure used to measure and describe a specific tract of real property for the purpose of determining exact boundaries and the area contained therein. a drawing of a parcel of land showing its boundary lines. The boundaries are measured by calculating the dimensions and areas to determine the exact location of a piece of land

Survey

A legal description is legally sufficient if it allows a surveyor to define the exact boundaries of the property.

TRUE

Monuments are made of concrete, iron, or brass, and they are carefully placed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers or trained private land surveyors.

TRUE

Real estate professionals should refer to a reliable document, such as the deed that transferred the property to the current owner, or the tax roll/property appraiser's web site for a full and accurate legal description.

TRUE

Title problems can arise from an inaccurate legal description. Even if the contract can be corrected before the sale is closed, the real estate licensee risks losing a commission and may be held liable for damages suffered by an injured party because of an improperly worded legal description

TRUE

boundary directions are given in degrees (⁰), minutes (′), and seconds (″).

TRUE

To reduce errors and potential liability, real estate licensees should refer to a reliable document for a full and accurate legal description when inserting the legal description into sale contracts.

TRUE: Real estate licensees should refer to a reliable document, such as the deed that transferred the property to the current owner, or the tax roll/property appraiser's website for a full and accurate legal description.

The purpose of a legal description is to specify a particular parcel of land with sufficient detail so that it will be accepted by a court of law.

TRUE: The primary purpose of a legal description is to describe a particular piece of property in a way that uniquely identifies that parcel from any other parcel so that it will be accepted by a court of law.

Which section is located directly south of section 1? A. 6 B. 12 C. 2 D. 16

The answer is 12. Section 12 is located directly south (below) section 1.

Point Of Beginning (POB)

The starting (and ending) place in a land survey using the metes-and-bounds method of property description.

A property costs $26,136 per acre. Therefore, the property costs $0.75 per square foot.

The statement is false. $26,136 ÷ 43,560 = $0.60 per square foot.

A check is a square six miles on each side.

The statement is false. A check is a square 24 miles on each side.

The section immediately south of Section 2 in a given township is Section 10.

The statement is false. The section immediately south of Section 2 is Section 11.

The east-west survey lines located every six miles north and south of the primary base line. Also called a subbaseline.

Township Line

To calculate the acreage in a government survey legal description, multiply the denominators of each fraction together and then divide 640 by the result. If the word and appears in the description, calculate the acreage on each side of the word and separately and then add the two acreages together.

True

There are 130,680 square feet in 3 acres.

True: 3 acres x 43,560 sqft= 130,680

How many acres are in a parcel described as the SW¼ of the NE¼ of the SE¼? a.40 b.20 c.5 d.10

d. 10: 640/4/4/4=10

The purpose of a legal description is to

describe a parcel of land with sufficient detail that it will be accepted by a court of law. A legal description describes a particular piece of property in a way that uniquely identifies that parcel.

Tax maps are based on legal descriptions in recorded deeds.

false: Tax maps are based on recorded plat maps.

A metes-and-bounds description begins at an exact reference point, called a (POB)

point of beginning (POB).

In the government survey system of land description, a vertical strip of land six miles wide located between two consecutive submeridians or _______lines

range

A square 1 mile on each side (1 mile square) containing 1 square mile (640 acres).

section

A square 6 miles on each side (6 miles square) containing 36 square miles (36 sections); also an (east-west) strip of land north and south of a baseline (tier).

township

A township contains 36 square miles (6 miles × 6 miles = 36 square miles).

true

An acre contains 43,560 square feet.

true