Understanding Land Description Methods and Metes & Bounds Sketch

1. Methods of Legally Describing Land Legal Description • A written passage or statement that defines property and is descriptive enough for the property to be differentiated from other properties.

2. Why Different Methods?

3. Land Titles

4. Metes and Bounds • Metes- boundary described by a distance and direction between property corners. • Bounds: Boundary described less accurately. i.e. “from center of the creek” • Point of Beginning (POB)- starting point.

5. Sample of Metes and Bounds • Beginning at an iron pipe on the corner of the Lots 51 and 52; thence running N 52°49’ E a distance of 87 ½ feet; thence turning and running easterly through the middle of Lot 50 a distance of 101 feet more or less; thence turning and running S 52°49’ W a distance of 80 feet more or less along a 24-foot right of way; thence turning and running on an arc a distance of 30 feet to West Shore Drive, so-called; thence continuing along the northerly side of the said West Shore Drive a distance of 80 feet more or less to the point of beginning. • Recorded June 23, 1949

6. Bearings • The deviation measured in degrees, minutes and seconds from a known line or direction. • N 25°35’ E • S 22°35’E • N 15° W • S 45° W

7. N W E S N 25°35’ E 25°35’

8. N W E S S 22°35’E 22°35’

9. N W E S N 15° W 15°

10. N W E S S 45°W 45°

11. Metes & Bounds Sketch, Part 1 • Beginning at an iron pipe on the corner of the Lots 51 and 52;

12. N W E S Metes & Bounds Sketch, Part 2 • thence running N 52°49’ E a distance of 87 ½ feet 52°49’ 87 ½ feet

13. N W E S Metes & Bounds Sketch, Part 3 • thence turning and running easterly through the middle of Lot 50 a distance of 101 feet more or less; 101 feet 87 ½ feet

14. N W E S Metes & Bounds Sketch, Part 4 • thence turning and running S 52°49’ W a distance of 80 feet more or less along a 24-foot right of way 101 feet 52°49’ 87 ½ feet 80 feet

15. Metes & Bounds Sketch, Part 5 • thence turning and running on an arc a distance of 30 feet to West Shore Drive, 101 feet 87 ½ feet 80 feet

16. Metes & Bounds Sketch, Part 6 • thence continuing along the northerly side of the said West Shore Drive a distance of 80 feet more or less to the point of beginning. 101 feet 87 ½ feet 80 feet 80 feet – West Shore Drive

17. Thomas Jefferson Rectangular Survey(Townships) Designed for the organization, division and sale of government-owned frontier lands. Western Expansion

18. Meridian and Base Lines Principal Meridian Base Line

19. Principal Meridians

20. Principal Meridians

21. Township Lines

22. Townships Township 1 north, range 1 west T2N R2W T2N R2W T2N R1E T2N R2E T1N R2W T1N R1W T1N R1E T1N R2E T1S R2W T1S R1W T1S R1E T1S R2E T2S R2W T2S R1W T2S R1E T2S R2E

23. Each Township = 36 Sections

24. 20 acres 20 acres Each Section Section = 1 square mile = 640 acres 80 acres Quarter Section 160 acres 40 acres Half Section 320 acres

25. Example 2: • Township 1 South, Range 1 East, 3rd PM • Section 25: S1/2 NW1/4 Professional Development ID Code: 8004

26. Locate the Township • Township 1 South, Range 1 East, 3rd PM

27. Locate the Section Section 25

28. Locate the Principal Meridian 3rd PM = 3rd Principal Meridian

29. Locate the Subdivision S1/2 NW1/4 Size= 640acres * ½ * ¼= 80 acres