MRE_Unit6
rectangular (government) survey system
A system established in 1785 by the federal government, providing for surveying and describing land by reference to principal meridians and base lines.
Torrens system
issued and guaranteed by the state, properties that are identified by means of a Torrens certificate
legally sufficient
"the property must be described in a way that will enable a sales contract, deed, or mortgage document to be legally enforceable
datum
A horizontal plane from which heights and depths are measured. a point, line, or surface from which elevations are measured or indicated, a separate plat is prepared for each floor in the condominium building. all large cities have local official datum that is used instead of the USGS datum. A surveyor would use a datum in determining the height of a structure or establishing the grade of a street. USGS has information on a variety of climate, land use, and environmental issues, as well as a state site locator"
Methods of Land Description Term: rectangular survey system
A land description system based on principal meridians and base lines
plat map
A map of a town, section, or subdivision indicating the location and boundaries of individual properties.
Methods of Land Description Term: datum
A point, line, or surface from which elevations are measured.
sections
A portion of a township under the rectangular (government) survey system. A township is divided into 36 sections, numbered 1 through 36. A section is a square with mile-long sides and an area of one square mile, or 640 acres., halves 320 acres, quarters 160 acres, survey states the property's legal description
A buyer acquired a property with three acres. How many square feet does the property have? A) 130,680 B) 43,560 C) 156,840 D) 27,878,400
A) 43560/ 1 acre x 3 acres = 130,680 total sq ft The answer is 130,680. Because one acre contains 43,560 square feet, three acres will contain 3 × 43,560 sq. ft. = 130,680 sq. ft.
A parcel of land is 400 feet by 640 feet. The parcel is cut in half diagonally by a stream. How many acres are in each half of the parcel? A) 2.94 B) 5.88 C) 2.75 D) 5.51
A) The answer is 2.94. The parcel is 256,000 square feet: 400' ×640' = 256,000 sq ft. Half of it is 128,000 square feet. Each acre requires 43,560 square feet. Therefore: 128,000 sq ft ÷ 43,560 sq ft per acre = 2.938 acres (rounded to three decimal places). The nearest answer is 2.94.
How many acres are contained in the tract described as ""beginning at the NW corner of the SW¼, then south along the west line to the SW corner of the section, then east along the south line of the section 2,640 feet, more or less, to the SE corner of the said SW¼, then in a straight line to the POB""? A) 80 acres B) 160 acres C) 90 acres D) 100 acres
A) The answer is 80 acres. The area described is a triangle formed when a quarter of a section is cut from one corner to the opposite corner. A section has 640 acres, a quarter-section has 160 acres, and half of that quarter has 80 acres.
Cities with local datums also have designated official local A) benchmarks. B) data points. C) plat lines. D) data lines.
A) The answer is benchmarks. Cities with local datums also have designated official local benchmarks.
Rights to the property above the earth's surface are A) called air rights. B) incapable of being ""owned."" C) called non-land rights. D) called intangible property rights.
A) The answer is called air rights. Rights to the property above the earth's surface are called air rights.
Some traditional terms of measurement NOT often used today include rods, cubic yards, and A) chains. B) inches. C) miles. D) acres.
A) The answer is chains. Some traditional terms of measurement are not often used today, but may be found in older deeds. These include rods, cubic yards, and chains.
A system of legal description that uses meridian, townships, and sections is A) government survey. B) lot and block. C) metes and bounds. D) recorded plat.
A) The answer is government survey. This method use meridians, base lines, townships, and sections.
In the rectangular survey system, a township is a square formed by A) horizontal township lines and vertical range lines. B) base lines and principal meridians. C) base lines and tiers. D) vertical township lines and horizontal range lines.
A) The answer is horizontal township lines and vertical range lines. Townships are the basic units of the rectangular survey system.
In describing real estate, the method that may use a property's physical features to determine boundaries and measurements is A) metes and bounds. B) government survey. C) lot and block. D) rectangular survey.
A) The answer is metes and bounds. Monuments are the turning points in the metes-and-bounds method of describing property. In this method, natural, tangible features, such as a distinctive rock or a great tree, were sometimes used as monuments. The path of a stream might serve as all or part of a boundary liine. Metes means distance; bounds refers to direction (not boundaries). The description gives distance in a compass direction from the point of beginning (POB) and then from each succeeding monument, until it returns to the POB.
The oldest method of land description in the United States is the A) metes-and-bounds method. B) rectangular survey method. C) lot and block method. D) Torrens system.
A) The answer is metes-and-bounds method. The metes-and-bounds method was used in the original 13 colonies, as well as in states that were being settled while the rectangular survey system was being developed. The Torrens system can be found in Hawaii and parts of other states.
A township is a rectangle that is A) six miles square and contains 36 square miles B) eight miles square and contains 64 square miles C) based on the lot and block system D) 640 acres
A) The answer is six miles square containing 36 square miles. A township is 23,040 acres.
The LEAST specific method for identifying real property is A) street address. B) lot and block. C) metes and bounds. D) rectangular survey.
A) The answer is street address. A legal description is a precise method of identifying a parcel of land and includes metes-and-bounds, rectangular survey, and lot-and-block as methods that can be used for identification. A street address is not a legal description and, therefore, not as precise.
A legal description is a detailed way of describing a parcel of land and is based on information collected through a A) survey. B) area analysis. C) land study. D) land analysis.
A) The answer is survey. A legal description is a detailed way of describing a parcel of land and is based on information collected through a survey.
A legal description must contain a reference to which of the following? A) The principal meridian and the base line of the survey system area in which the property lies B) Sales price C) A record of survey and the principal meridian D) Lot numbers and sections
A) parcel of land is two acres. It sells for $1.18 per square foot 43560 sq ft/1 acre x 2 acres = 87,120 sq ft 87,120 sq ft x $1.18 = $102,801.6 The answer is $102,801.60. An acre consists of 43,560 square feet. 43,560 × 2 = 87,120 total square feet. 87,120 × $1.18 = $102,801.60.
township lines
All the lines in a rectangular survey system that run east and west, parallel to the base line and six miles apart.
A man buys 4.5 acres of land for $78,400. An adjoining owner wants to purchase a strip of this land measuring 150 feet by 100 feet. What should this strip cost the adjoining owner if the owner sells it for the same price per square foot he originally paid for it? A) $3,000 B) $6,000 C) $9,400 D) $7,800
B) The answer is $6,000. Price divided by area (in square feet) gives cost per square foot. The area is 4.5 times the size of one acre, or 4.5 × 43,560 sq ft = 196,020 sq ft. Then, $78,400 divided by 196,020 sq ft = $0.3996 (essentially, $0.40) per square foot. Determining the purchase price of a 100-by-150-foot lot at the same cost per square foot requires finding the area of the lot: 100 × 150 = 15,000 sq ft. Multiply this area by $0.40: 15,000 sq ft × $0.40 = $6,000. 4.5 acres * 1 Acre= 43560 sq ft. = 196,020 150 x 100 feet = 15000 volume square foot 196020 total sq ft/15000 purchase sq foot=13.068 bundle of sq foot $78400/13.068 = ~$6,000/square foot
A chain is 66 feet long or four rods; a rod is A) 6.6 feet. B) 16.5 feet. C) 66 feet. D) 26.5 feet.
B) The answer is 16.5 feet. A chain is 66 feet long and the same length as four rods, each being 16.5 feet long.
Which of the following are NOT basic components of a metes-and-bounds description? A) Points of beginning B) Base lines, principal meridians, and townships C) Tangible and intangible monuments D) Degrees, minutes, and seconds
B) The answer is base lines, principal meridians, and townships. Base lines, meridians, and townships are elements of the rectangular survey system, not the metes-and-bounds system. (ARE: Points of beginning, Tangible and intangible monuments, Degrees, minutes, and seconds)
A plat map A) records the details of a condominium registration. B) describes the lots and blocks in a subdivision. C) provides a picture of a rectangular coordinate description. D) shows the master plan of a community.
B) The answer is describes the lots and blocks in a subdivision. The plat map shows the details for the description of lots and blocks to be recorded in the county records.
For the purpose of the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the term datum is defined as the A) official data used by each local city. B) mean sea level at New York Harbor. C) mean elevation at the geographical center of the continental United States. D) mean sea level in San Francisco Bay.
B) The answer is mean sea level at New York Harbor. For the purpose of the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the iterm datum is defined as the mean sea level at New York Harbor.
The method of land measurement established by Congress in 1785 is the A) Torrens system. B) rectangular survey system. C) lot and block system. D) metes-and-bounds system.
B) The answer is rectangular survey system. This method of land measurement, also called the government survey system, was established by Congress in 1785 to standardize the description of land acquired by the newly formed federal government.
The location and dimensions of a parcel is identified on the survey A) design. B) sketch. C) plat. D) graph.
B) The answer is sketch. The location and dimensions of a parcel is identified on the survey sketch.
Datum, Monuments, or Benchmarks: One of many points that have been established throughout the United States, usually embossed brass markers set into solid concrete or asphalt bases
Benchmark
Datum, Monuments, or Benchmarks: Surveyors rely most heavily on these to mark their work accurately
Benchmark
A 10-acre parcel was sold for $3.50 per square foot. What was the total selling price for the parcel? A) $435,600 B) $4,356,000 C) $1,524,600 D) $152,460
C) 10-acre parcel was sold for $3.50 per square foot 43560 sq ft/1 acre x $3.50 = $152,460 $152,460 1 acre x 10 acres = 1,524,600 The answer is $1,524,600. An acre consists of 43,560 square feet. 43,560 × 10 = 435,600 total square feet. 435,600 × 3.50 = $1,524,600.
A property contains 10 acres. How many lots of not less than 50 feet by 100 feet can be subdivided from the property if 26,000 square feet were dedicated for roads? A) 82 B) 83 C) 81 D) 80
C) 43560/ 1 acre x 10 acres = 435,600 total sq ft 435600 - 26,000 sq ft = 409,600 sq ft remaining 50x100 = 5,000 sq ft 409,600/5,000 = 81.92 The answer is 81. The area of ten acres in square feet is figured as follows: 10 acres × 43,560 sq ft = 435,600 sq ft. Reserving 26,000 square feet for roads leaves 409,600 square feet. The area of each lot is to be not less than 5,000 square feet: 50' ×100' = 5,000 sq ft. Divide the available square footage by the square footage needed for each lot: 409,600 sq ft ÷ 5,000 square feet = 81.92. Because each lot must be ""not less than 50 feet × 100 feet,"" the property can be subdivided into 81 such lots.
A buyer purchased a half-acre parcel for $2.15 per square foot. What was the selling price of the parcel? A) $1,376 B) $774 C) $46,827 D) $93,654
C) The answer is $46,827. An acre consists of 43,560 square feet; therefore, a half-acre has 21,780 square feet. If each square foot sells for $2.15, 21,780 sq ft × $2.15 per sq ft = $46,827. 1 Acre = 43560 Square Foot 43560/ (1/2 acre) = 21780 21780 half acre * $2.15 per square foot = $46827
What is the number of the section designated as the school section in any township? A) 3 B) 28 C) 16 D) 12
C) The answer is 16. Section 16 is one of the centrally located sections in the standard township and is designated as the school section.
How big is an acre? A) 43,560 sq. yd. B) 4,356 sq. yd. C) 43,560 sq. ft. D) 4,356 sq. ft.
C) The answer is 43,560 sq. ft. One acre equals 43,560 square feet.
The rectangular survey system includes which of the following? A) Base lines B) Meridians C) All of these D) Townships
C) The answer is all of these. Base lines, meridians, and townships are elements of the rectangular survey system.
In determining the height of a structure or establishing the grade of a street, a surveyor uses a A) data point. B) data line. C) datum. D) benchmark.
C) The answer is datum. In determining the height of a structure or establishing the grade of a street, a surveyor uses a datum.
What is the shortest distance between Section 1 and Section 36 in the same township? A) Three miles B) Five miles C) Four miles D) Six miles
C) The answer is four miles. The shortest distance from Section 1 to Section 36 is from the bottom of Section 1 to the top of Section 36, or four miles.
What is a detailed way of describing a parcel of land? A) Appraisal B) Inspection C) Legal description D) None of these
C) The answer is legal description. A legal description is based on information collected through a survey, which is the process by which boundaries are measured by calculating the dimensions and area to determine the exact location of a piece of land.
Monuments are the turning points in which method of property description? A) Rectangular survey B) Government survey C) Metes and bounds D) Lot and block
C) The answer is metes and bounds. Monuments are the turning points in the metes-and-bounds method of describing property. In this method, natural, tangible features, such as a distinctive rock or a great tree, were sometimes used as monuments. The path of a stream might serve as all or part of a boundary liine. Metes means distance; bounds refers to direction (not boundaries). The description gives distance in a compass direction from the point of beginning (POB) and then from each succeeding monument, until it returns to the POB.
What are the turning points in the metes-and-bounds method of property description? A) Sections B) Acres C) Monuments D) Divisions
C) The answer is monuments. Monuments are the turning points in the metes-and-bounds method of describing property. In this method, natural, tangible features, such as a distinctive rock or a great tree, were sometimes used as monuments. The path of a stream might serve as all or part of a boundary liine. Metes means distance; bounds refers to direction (not boundaries). The description gives distance in a compass direction from the point of beginning (POB) and then from each succeeding monument, until it returns to the POB.
In the rectangular survey system, every parcel of land is described by reference to A) one or more principal meridians. B) the closest principal meridian. C) one principal meridian. D) the base line closest to the parcel described.
C) The answer is one principal meridian. Each parcel is described by reference to only one principal meridian, which may not be the one closest to the parcel being described.
Which of the following is NOT a valid way to define a legal description? A) Survey B) Metes and bounds C) Street address D) Lot and block
C) The answer is street address. While usually enough to find the location of a particular building, the street address is not precise enough to describe legal ownership. Addresses change as streets are renamed, or rural roads might become public streets in growing communities. Sales contracts, deeds, and mortgages require a more specific description of property to be binding.
A legal description must reference A) lot numbers. B) sales price. C) the base line of the survey system area in which the property lies. D) a record of survey.
C) The answer is the base line of the survey system area in which the property lies. A property description based on the rectangular survey system must always make reference to the principal meridian and the base line of the survey system area in which the property lies.
If a farm described as ""the NW¼ of the SE¼ of Section 10, Township 2 North, Range 3 West of the 6th. P.M."" sold for $4,500 an acre, what was the total sales price? A) $135,000 B) $90,000 C) $180,000 D) $45,000
C) ¼, ¼ = 40 acres: $4,500 x 40 acres = $180,000 The answer is $180,000. Disregard all elements of the description except those showing area. It is a quarter of a quarter of a section, or 1/16 of 640, or 40 acres. When sold, each acre brought $4,500, so the gross selling price is calculated as follows: 40 acres × $4,500 = $180,000.
In any township, what is the number of the section designated as the school section? A) 1 B) 36 C) 25 D) 16
D) The answer is 16. Section 16 is one of the centrally located sections in the standard township and is designated as the school section.
In the rectangular survey system, a township is divided into A) 4 sections with 10,000 acres per section. B) 12 sections with 4,000 acres per section. C) 6 sections with 3,840 acres per section. D) 36 sections with 640 acres per section.
D) The answer is 36 sections with 640 acres per section. A township contains 36 sections, and each section is one square mile or 640 acres.
In a legal description, the terms lot and block relate to A) correction lines and datum plane. B) the government survey system. C) a metes-and-bounds description. D) a recorded subdivision map.
D) The answer is a recorded subdivision map. Lots and blocks are found in subdivisions. They are platted or mapped.
A legal description stating ""start at the street sign at the corner of Ash and 11th, go 100' south to the tree, then 50' west ..."" is MOST likely what type of legal description? A) Government survey B) Urban C) Lot and block D) Metes and bounds
D) The answer is metes and bounds. Metes and bounds descriptions have a point of beginning, move in a clockwise direction, and then return to the point of beginning.
A method of property description using monuments, distances, and compass directions is the A) lot and block method. B) rectangular survey method. C) plat map. D) metes-and-bounds method.
D) The answer is metes-and-bounds method. The metes-and-bounds method of legal description uses distance and direction measurements to describe the boundaries of a property.
A lot-and-block description of a parcel of land must always include the A) point of beginning. B) federal identification number. C) monuments or markers. D) name or number of the subdivision plat.
D) The answer is name or number of the subdivision plat. The description must also include the lot and block number and the name of the county and state.
Another name for the lot-and-block method of describing a parcel of land is the A) government survey system. B) metes-and-bounds method. C) Torrens system. D) recorded plat method.
D) The answer is recorded plat method. This system uses lot and block numbers referred to in a plat map filed in the public records of the county where the land is located.
Which is the process by which boundaries are measured by calculating the dimensions and area to determine the exact location of a piece of land? A) Metes and bounds B) Square foot analysis C) Appraisal D) Survey
D) The answer is survey. A survey is the process by which boundaries are measured and land areas are determined, including the onsite measurement of lot lines, dimensions, and a house's position on a lot, as well as the determination of any existing encroachments or easements.
Datum, Monuments, or Benchmarks: Referenced in condominium plat maps showing the elevations of floor and ceiling surfaces and vertical boundaries of each unit
Datum
Methods of Land Description Term: metes and bounds
Legal description that relies on a property's physical features to determine and to describe the boundaries and measurements of the parcel
Methods of Land Description Term: township lines
Lines running 6 miles apart and parallel to the base line
satellite-based geographic information system (GIS)
Locate land boundaries and objects with amazing accuracy
Methods of Land Description Term: sections
Numbered squares of land within a township square
Methods of Land Description Term: benchmarks
Permanent reference markers usually found on embossed brass markers set in concrete or asphalt
tiers
Strips of land that are six miles wide, extending east and west and numbered north and south according to their distance from the base line in the rectangular (government) survey system of legal description.
True or False: Benchmarks are permanent reference points that have been established throughout the United States.
TRUE
True or False: The legal description of a property is based on information collected through a process called a survey.
TRUE
True or False: When a survey also shows the location, size, and shape of buildings on the lot, it is called a spot survey.
TRUE
base lines
The main imaginary line 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 rectangular (government) survey system of legal description.
principal meridians
The main imaginary line 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 rectangular (government) survey system of legal description.
air lots
The right to use the open space above a property, usually allowing the surface to be used for another purpose.
rectangular (government) survey system (Inside)
Vertical N-S: parallel to the meridian, Ranges Horizontal E-W: parallel to the base line, tiers All 6-miles apart
National Integrated Land System (NILS)
created by The Federal Bureau of Land Management and the USDA Forest Service in 1998, to be compatible with land descriptions utilizing both the metes-and-bounds method and the rectangular survey system.
Cadastral Data Content Standard
created by the Federal Geographic Data Committee, consistent standards of data collection and use, to integrate information found in publicly available land records
National Geospatial Advisory Committee
created in 1994 to coordinate geographic data acquisition and access
condominium laws
passed in all states require that a registered land surveyor prepare a plat map that shows the elevations of floor and ceiling surfaces and the vertical boundaries of each unit with reference to an official datum
survey sketch
shows the location and dimensions of the parcel
locate (property survey)
the surveyor must be able to define the exact boundaries of the property
lot-and-block (recorded plat) method
"A method of describing real property that identifies a parcel of land by reference to lot and block numbers within a subdivision, as specified on a recorded subdivision plat., always refers to a prior metes-and-bounds or rectangular survey description. lot refers to the numerical designation of any particular parcel. block refers to the name of the subdivision under which the map is recorded"
benchmarks
"Permanent reference marks or points established for use by surveyors in measuring differences in elevation. While used to some degree for surface measurements, their principal reference use is for marking datums.
subdivision plat
"prep for a lot-and-block system by a licensed surveyor or engineer, the land is divided into numbered or lettered lots and blocks, three identifiers are used: - Lot and block number - Name or number of the subdivision plat - Name of the county and state
legal description
A description of a specific parcel of real estate complete enough for an independent surveyor to locate and identify it.
monuments
A fixed natural or artificial object used to establish real estate boundaries for a metes-and-bounds description. Today, monuments are iron pins or concrete posts placed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, other government departments, or trained private surveyors
metes-and-bounds method
A method used to describe a parcel of land that begins at a well-marked point and follows the property's boundaries, using directions and distances around the tract, back to the place of beginning.
ranges
A strip of land six miles wide, extending north and south and numbered east and west according to its distance from the principal meridian in the rectangular (government) survey system of legal description.
Methods of Land Description Term: lot and block
A system of description that uses numbered areas referred to in a plat map
What is the cost of one acre of land at $2.25 per square foot? A) $88,100 B) $90,000 C) $98,010 D) $980,100
C) The answer is $98,010. An acre of land has 43,560 square feet, so 43,560 multiplied by $2.25 per square foot is $98,010. 1 Acre = 43560 Square Foot 43560 * $2.25 = $98010 total per sq ft
Datum, Monuments, or Benchmarks: A point, line, or surface from which elevations are measured or indicated
Datum
Methods of Land Description Term: monuments
Fixed objects used to identify significant points of measurement in a metes-and-bounds description
point of beginning (POB)
In a metes-and-bounds legal description, the starting point of the survey, situated in one corner of the parcel; all metes-and-bounds descriptions must follow the boundaries of the parcel back to the point of beginning.
Datum, Monuments, or Benchmarks: Traditionally used to mark surface measurements between points, but may not be accurate
Monument
Methods of Land Description Term: ranges
Strips of land running parallel to the meridian
True or False: A metes-and-bounds description starts at a designated place on the parcel called the point of beginning.
TRUE
Methods of Land Description Term: POB
The designated starting point for a metes-and bounds description
townships
The principal unit of the rectangular (government) survey system. A township is a 6-mile square of 36 square miles.
survey
The process by which boundaries are measured and land areas are determined; the on-site measurement of lot lines, dimensions, and position of a house on a lot, including the determination of any existing encroachments or easements.
spot survey
When a survey also shows the location, size, and shape of buildings on the lot
computer-assisted design (CAD)
programs to create maps have created a new era in land description