5% CHAPTER 10: Legal Descriptions

How many square feet are in an acre?

43,560 square feet.

Calculating Acreage for a Parcel or Lot.

If you know the measurements of the parcel, multiply the length times the width 100 x 180 = 18,000 square feet. To calculate the acreage of a Parcel, remember that an acre is 43,560 square feet. Divide the square footage attained (i.e. 18,000) by 43,560 and you'll find the parcel in question is.4132231 acres or rounded up to .42 acres. You can further determine the length or the width of a parcel by taking the total square feet, if given and divide it by the side that you know. For instance, a parcel is 17,050 square feet with a frontage of 75 feet. What is the length? Answer: 17050/75 = 227.34 length.

A lot that measured 330' x 198' sold for $30,000.What was the cost per acre? A. $10,000 B. $20,000 C. $25,000 D. $30,000

B. $20,000

A lot contained 600 square yards and had a frontage of 40 feet. If the lot was rectangular in shape, what would be the length of the lot measure? A. 15 feet B. 135 feet C. 185 feet D. 217 feet

B. 135 feet

Fractional and Government Lots

are irregularly shaped parcels of land, usually with a water frontage, which could not be divided practically into sections under the government survey system. They represent areas that would not be divided practically using the method above and may be supplemented by using a Metes and Bounds description.

A legal description identifies a property's

location, measurements, and all the necessary location information to identify a plot of land. A street address is not a sufficient method to identify a parcel of land for a legal description as street names and numbers can change over time.

Important Measurements

- 1 mile = 5,280 feet - 1 square yard = 9 square feet - 1 cubic yard = 27 cubic feet - 1 square mile = 640 acres - 1 acre = 43,560 square feet.

Formulas to Remember

- Area is always expressed in square feet or square yards - Area of a rectangle equals Area = Length x Width - Area of a triangle equals Area = 1/2 Base x Height - Volume is always expressed in cubic feet or cubic yards - Volume of a rectangle equals Volume = Length x Width x Depth - Volume of a triangular prism equals Volume = 1/2 Base x Height x Depth

Each Section is

1-mile square or 640 acres.

The description that follows contains how many acres? "The NE 1/4 of the NE 1/4 of Section 20." A. 40 acres B. 160 acres C. 320 acres D. 640 acres

A. 40 acres

Because of the curvature of the earth, it is necessary to compensate for the changes in the lines through the use of A. correction lines. B. tier lines. C. township lines. D. range lines.

A. correction lines.

How many acres are in a piece of property measuring 620' x 430'? A. 5 B. 6.12 C. 7.25 D. 8.36

B. 6.12

How many acres of land are there in the S 1/2 of the N 1/2 of the SW 1/4? A. 10 acres B. 20 acres C. 40 acres D. 160 acres

C. 40 acres

Objects used by surveyors in legal descriptions are A. medians. B. checks. C. monuments. D. ranges.

C. monuments.

How many acres are there in a 1/8 mile squared? (1/8 mile squared is the same as 1/8 mile times 1/8 mile) A. 5 acres B. 6 acres C. 8 acres D. 10 acres

D. 10 acres

"Beginning at the SE corner of the intersection of Olive and 270; thence south 350 feet; thence west 350 feet; thence north 400 feet; thence east 400 feet." Is this an adequate legal description? A. Yes. It is a good legal description of land. B. Yes. It is a good legal description because it contains feet. C. No. Legal descriptions must have compass readings. D. No. All legal descriptions must return to the POB.

D. No. All legal descriptions must return to the POB.

What is the starting point called in a metes and bounds description? A. Marker B. Check C. Meridian D. POB

D. POB

Which of the following would NEVER be included as part of a legal description? A. Lot and block B. Metes and bounds C. Range or township D. Street address

D. Street address

The use of "AND" in a Legal Description.

Some owners may have land in more than one section. When a legal description uses the word "AND", it indicates two sections of measurement. Say the legal description shows the NE 1/4 of the NE 1/4 and the NW 1/4 OF THE NW 1/4. How would this be calculated? The "AND" indicates more than one section so you need to calculate the denominators 4 X 4 = 16; 640 / 16 = 40 and 4 X 4 = 16; 640/16 = 40 40 + 40 = 80 acres total

Assessor's Parcel Number

To aid in the assessment of properties for the purpose of tax collection, each piece (Parcel) of land is given a Parcel Number. The tax maps denote that these parcel numbers have been identified on relevant recorded plat maps, as well as other land recorded in the county. Every property has a parcel number. Associated with it is the owner's name and address of record. In addition to the parcel number, the assessed value of the land and structures are also recorded so that the county will know how much land accompanies each parcel. This determines the amount of tax money available to each taxing entity.

Bench Marks

To speed up the surveying process, surveyors use a short-cut known as a Bench Mark. The Bench Mark is a permanent brass plate, placed in the ground and it notates the feet above sea level at that location. The surveyor can then start at the Bench Mark in order to determine its elevation - i.e. feet above sea level. Datum is the level plain that is used by the Bench Mark to determine elevation and from which the surveyor's measuring begins.

Frontage

a boundary on a piece of land on the road or that faces a desirable boundary (river, golf course, ocean)

Rectangular Government Survey

arranged in a series of grids with lines going North and South (Principal meridians) and other lines going East and West (Base Lines). - There are numerous sets of principal meridians in the United States. - Guide meridians and correction lines compensate for the curvature of the Earth. - Each 24x24 square created by these guide meridians and correction lines is called a Check. - Range lines (i.e. vertical) and Township lines (i.e. horizontal) are drawn 6 miles apart, creating a township equaling 36 square miles. - The township is then divided into 36 sections- each 1 square mile or 640 acres (43,560 square feet per acre) - Sections are numbered from front upper right to left and across a township in a back and forth or 'snaking' movement. - Fractional (Government Lots) are irregularly shaped parcels of land, usually fronting on water, which could not be divided practically into sections under the government survey system.

A legal description, as a form of identification, is used within legal papers like contracts, deeds and title insurance policies for a particular property.

legal papers like contracts, deeds and title insurance policies for a particular property.

Lot and Block System

system utilizes a map referred to as a Plat Map. The Plat Map is laid out with a complete legal description by section, number, etc. However, once the plat has been given a complete legal description, smaller areas in the plat are referred to as Subdivisions. Each lot within that subdivision refers to the Lot and Block where the property is located. An example would be Lot 12, Block 6, Quiet Village Subdivision, and Jacksonville, FL. Each plat is recorded in the county where the property is located so that anyone wishing to find the full legal description can refer to that plat.

Metes and Bounds

the oldest of all the measuring systems used in the United States. It relies on monuments and a point of beginning (POB). It includes compass readings in degrees, minutes and seconds. - Measurements are done in a 360° reading of the compass with north being both 0° and 360°. - Survey begins and ends at the POB, which is established using monuments (fixed objects). - Compass directions are used to describe the direction of boundary lines using a circle. - The word "Thence" in this instance is used to indicate a change in direction. The numbers in degrees are compass headings, based on a 360° circle.