Section 3 Legal Land Descriptions & Measuring Real Property

1 yard is = to

3 feet

1 township equals

36 sections

1 acre equals

43,560 square feet

One mile equals how many feet?

5,280 feet

plat

A drawing of a development used in the block and lot method a detailed map that notes the property lines dividing individual lots in a particular tract.

plat approval

After the plat is complete, the developer must submit it to the proper authorities for approval. Once approved, the plat is filed in the recorder's office of the county in which the property is located. From there, the public will be able to access the plats in officially recorded map books.

township

Also known as a survey township; a square parcel of land of 36 square miles, or a measure of the distance north or south from a referenced baseline, in units of six miles 6x6=36 square miles

section of a township

Approximately one-square-mile blocks of land (640 acres); there are 36 sections in a survey township this begins in the upper right hand corner and goes to the left and then snakes back and forth each square miles contains 640 acres every acre has 43,560 square feet Sections can then be divided into halves (320 acres) and quarters (160 acres). Those halves and quarters can then be halved and quartered again.

Lot C, block 8 of Cliff Estate Subdivision, Sparrow County, GA is an example of a legal property description using what method of surveying?

Recorded Plat Method

Air Lots

That air space within a condominium - the area between the floor and ceiling - is a type of air lot, for which condo owners have air rights.

monument

Used as points of beginning or markers for this system. Monuments are fixed landmarks, either natural or human-made. Natural monuments can include things like streams, large boulders, or trees. 🌳

Acreage

a unit of area measurement used to measure the size of land.

How is volume measured?

in cubic feet

baseline

latitude lines A parallel of latitude, referenced to and established from a designated initial point, upon which all rectangular surveys in a defined area are based

meridian

longitude lines that run north to south They segment the globe along Earth's poles

An example would include the phrase: "Beginning at the intersection of the north boundary of Red St. and the east boundary of Blue Rd."

metes and bounds

depends on longitude and latitude mapping

rectangular survey system

initial point

where a baseline and a principal meridian intersect this creates a township

What two pieces of information do you need in order to describe an air lot above a parcel of land?

1. The location of the parcel of land where the air lot is believed to be 2. The elevation (from the point of the datum*) of where the air lot is thought to extend

How do you solve for acreage?

1. calculate the square footage LxW= SQ ft. 2. divide this number by 43,560.- this is one acre

Legal descriptions of a property should be:

1. present on the deed 2. accurate

How do you find the area of a triangle?

1/2 base x height = square feet

The S 1/2 of a section would measure how many acres?

320

1 mile equals

5,280 linear feet

1 linear mile equals how many linear feet

5280 linear feet

1 section equals

640 acres ( a square mile)

1 square yard is = to

9 square feet (3x3=9)

ranges

A measure of the distance east or west from a referenced principal meridian, in units of six miles one range = 6 miles run parallel to meridians, numbered consecutively from east to west from their respective principle meridians

Parcel

A part or portion of land; often used to identify a specific lot within a larger tract of property

Lot

Individual piece of land measured and defined by the metes and bounds system

rectangular survey system (government survey system)

It involves a surveyed grid of meridians, baselines, townships, and ranges to describe a piece of land. Today, more land in the United States is defined by the rectangular survey system than by any other method. survey grids using the standard global lines of latitude (running east-west) and longitude (running north-south).

Township lines create:

Tiers which are 6 miles wide

Block

a collection of lots

benchmark

a more permanent marker used as a reference point for location and elevation known location and elevation as established by a government survey team most reliable reference points used by surveyors The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) or the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey (USCGS) have placed official benchmarks in most cities so that surveyors know the elevation of that mark. The benchmark is usually mounted into a sidewalk or a street. It might say that the elevation of that spot is 82 feet above sea level.

Square footage

a unit of area measurement, equal to 1 ft. by 1 ft. Buyers and sellers will often use square footage as a way to compare the size of buildings.

How do you calculate the perimeter of a property?

add the boundary lines together

Conture Map

also called a topographic map, is a map in which curved lines (contour lines) connect contiguous parts of equal elevation to define the contours of the land. helps give a picture of the terrain

block and lot system

also called recorded plat method a type of legal description that identifies a piece of platted property by referring to the section, lot, and block numbers in a subdivision. This is the most modern type of legal description. Understandably, it's well suited for cities and suburban communities.

How do you calculate the price per square foot?

asking price/total square feet = price per square feet Step 1: Find the house's total square footage. Step 2: Find the house's asking price. Step 3: Divide the house's asking price by the house's total square footage.

another name for recorded plat method

block and lot

pinpoints properties in reference to a plat map

block and lot

Unfinished areas of a home include:

external areas such as patios, porches, decks, and garages. Basically, a part of the house that wouldn't get heat or air conditioning in a normal circumstance is considered unfinished.

principal meridian

extra important longitudinal lines that have been designated for naming A true meridian running through an initial point, which, together with the baseline, forms the highest level framework for all rectangular surveys in a given area 37 in total

Perimeter

is the boundary of the property

metes and bounds

land survey process in which a licensed land surveyor starts at a readily identifiable point of beginning and defines the boundaries of a property in terms of distances and compass directions, finally returning to the point of beginning. (distance and direction) metes- refers to the distance measurements used in the description bounds- the compass directions used in creating the boundaries that enclose a parcel of real estate distance is generally measured in feet generally used in GA

parallels

latitude lines that run east to west

What do you need to know to calculate square footage?

length and width

What information do you need to measure cubic feet?

length x width x height = volume in cubic feet

uses a point of beginning and markers or landmarks to describe a property

metes and bounds

What are the three methods of surveying that yield accurate legal descriptions of property?

metes and bounds (most common) block and lot rectangular survey system

divides land into 36-square mile townships and depends on longitude and latitude mapping

rectangular survey system

path of points

refers to the clockwise direction from the point of beginnings (POB) around a parcel of land, describing the distance in feet and directions in degrees, minutes and seconds.

township lines

run parallel to baselines, meaning east to west. They intersect to create 36-square-mile areas called townships.

legal description

summary of a property that is distinct and precise enough to distinguish it from all other properties. These descriptions can be used by courts to clarify any disputes about the property that may arise. sales contracts require the legal description

point of beginning (POB)

surveyor's starting point an established starting point, often located on a road, from which the description bean established starting point, often located on a road, from which the description begins. described as x # of feet from which the description begins- specifies a direction

tiers

the area of land the township creates- six miles wide (Longitude) A measure of the distance north and south from a referenced principal baseline, in units of six miles 1 tier = 6 miles

Datum

the designated base reference point from which elevation is measured. From a datum, a measurement moves upward or downward on a horizontal plane, creating standard heights of depths. A datum base point is established by sea level. like a very large ruler- denotes location in space

Livable area in a home is considered:

the finished areas including rooms within the house or connected to the house

Frontage

the portion of the boundary of a lot that borders the street. Frontage is measured in front feet.

survey

the process and physical product of finding and measuring the boundaries of a piece of real estate, including the location of improvements, encroachments, and easements.

Tract

the totality of the property represented on the plat

Front Feet

used to measure a property that borders a street. One front foot is one foot of property bordering the street. When giving the dimensions of a property, the front feet are always stated first. For example, if a property is 150' x 313', the property has a frontage of 150 feet, or 150 front feet. take the square footage and divide it into the depth depth is how far the property goes back, so 313' is the depth

What are Vertical Land Description used for?

used when air rights and subsurface rights need specific explication (analyzed)