Unit 4 Legal Descriptions

An acre contains _____ square feet.

43,560

Who is required by the condominium laws to prepare a plat map showing the elevations of floors and ceiling surfaces?

A registered land surveyor

Which of the following is MOST likely to be included in a legal description of a condominium description? A) Fractional share of the buildings common elements B) Subsurface description of the pilings supporting the building C) Description of the other residents in the building D) Location of amenities offered by the building

A) Fractional share of the buildings common elements

All of the following are basic components of a metes-and-bounds description EXCEPT A) a point of beginning. B) base lines, principal meridians, and townships. C) degrees, minutes, and seconds. D) tangible and intangible monuments.

B) base lines, principal meridians, and townships

A metes-and-bounds legal description A) can be made only in areas excluded from the rectangular survey system. B) must commence and finish at the same identifiable point. C) is not acceptable in court in most jurisdictions. D) is used to complete areas omitted from recorded subdivision plats.

B) must commence and finish at the same identifiable point.

Which of the following is the BEST way to ensure that there are no encroachments and to verify the boundaries of a parcel of land? A) Find the monuments. B) Verify the benchmarks. C) Get a spot survey. D) Write a legal description.

C) Get a spot survey

A datum is A) measured in New York only. B) all of these. C) used in the description of an air lot. D) a calendar method of measurement.

C) used in the description of an air lot.

What is a detailed way of describing a parcel of land for documents that will be accepted in a court of law?

Legal Description

The owner has a large parcel of land surveyed into lots and streets and files a subdivision plat. Each lot can be legally described by use of which of the following? A) Street address B) Government survey C) Metes and bounds D) Lot and block

Lot and block

Where is the official datum as defined by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) located?

Mean sea level at New York Harbor

A monument is used in which type of legal description? A) Lot and block B) Street address C) Metes and bounds D) Rectangular survey

Metes and Bounds

What system uses a property's physical features to determine boundaries and measurements?

Metes and bounds method

What does Pennsylvania require for condominium descriptions?

Plat must show the elevations of floors and ceiling on a vertical plane

A map that shows the location, size, and shape of buildings located on a lot is called a

Spot Survey

An owner may subdivide the air above the land into

air lots

The legal description in the documents for each transfer of property must

be identical to the one used in prior transfers

A brass marker that surveyors use to mark local datums is called a

benchmark

To be valid in a legal description, the survey must allow the surveyor the ability to locate the

boundaries of the parcel

A description meets the standard of being legally sufficient if a

competent surveyor can locate the parcel using the description

The point or surface from which elevations are measured is called a

datum

In describing real estate, a system that uses feet, degrees, and monuments is

metes and bounds

Unless the parcel of land is used for agricultural purposes, the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code defines a subdivision as

two or more lots, tracts, or parcels.

Subsurface descriptions are useful for identifying

underground condominium units