Figuring out the size of a piece of property, which sometimes is called a parcel, is simple, if you keep in mind that youre always dealing with a section of 640 acres. The three legal real estate land descriptions are important information that all real estate agents and brokers must understand to pass their real estate exam and receive their license. Where the two range lines and two township lines intersect, they form a township.\r\n\r\nNow, the way it really works is for this page to be filled with the lines going up and down and right to left so that you have many townships. Townships are identified based on their location to the point of origin where the principal meridian line meets the baseline. The system was further modified to facilitate the transfer of large quantities of government-owned western lands to . Correction lines occur at every fourth township line or every 24 miles north and south of the baseline. Putting the above description into words is half of a quarter section. Government Rectangular Survey System (GRSS) And Torrens System Government Rectangular Survey System (GRSM) Land survey system primarily used throughout the US but not within the original 13 colonies which are based upon the Meters & Bounds Theory Based upon the longitude and latitude lines and then ultimately upon the meridian (vertical . Principal meridians, baselines, and where they intersect (cross each other) are used as the basis for formulating property descriptions in this system. The system was created by Thomas Jefferson in 1785. Adding that to the description results in a more specific parcel of land: The NW 1/4 of the SE 1/4 of Section 18, Township 5 South, Range 4 West of the Fifth Principal Meridian, Missouri. The strips of land they form are known as township tiers. as starting points. The following table indicates some distance and area conversions in the PLSS: The states that use the rectangular survey system are:Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Alabama, and Florida. For example, a piece of land could be identified as the southeast quarter of section 18 of a township, which would be 160 acres. Government Survey System (Rectangular Survey System) Public Land Survey System (PLSS) After the Revolutionary War ended, the United States Government needed a way to describe lands in the West to insure locating and selling. You may be asked to identify sections in the Rectangular Survey System, so remember the order from specific to general. Guide meridians and standard parallels form quadrangles. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. The lines are spaced 24 miles apart, creating squares that are around 576 square miles. However, the system calculations also have to be adjusted somewhat to account for the curvature of the earth, which required the addition of Guide Meridians and Standard Parallels. These smaller parcels are identified by their directional location within the section. Using the land noted on the image, a parcel could be defined as the West half of the Southeast quarter of Section 14 of Township 2 South, Range 3 West. [/caption]\r\n\r\nEach section of 640 acres can be divided into halves and quarters called, get this, half sections and quarter sections. There are few subdivisions beyond the sections and quarter sections. The range lines run north and south parallel to the principal meridians. The Public Land Survey System (PLSS) is the surveying method developed and used in the United States to plat, or divide, real property for sale and settling.Also known as the Rectangular Survey System, it was created by the Land Ordinance of 1785.. Because the rectangular or government survey system was instituted when the United States was a brand-new country, it was used to describe most of the land west of the original 13 . - The system, which was adopted in 1785, is also called the U.S. System of Rectangular Surveys or the rectangular method. Quadrangles have an area of 576 square miles, more or less, and are divided into 16 townships.

Each township is further divided into 36 sections of one square mile each, or 640 acres, by horizontal and vertical section lines. You may even see a question or two about the numbering system used for sections. The sections are number 1 through 36 starting in the NE corner of the section continuing west along the top row. Simply multiply 640 by or 0.25, which equals 160, then multiply 160 by 1/2 or 0.5, which equals 80. The system was created by Thomas Jefferson in 1785. Quarter sections have an area of 160 acres.

The SW 1/4 of the NE 1/4 of the NW 1/4 of Section 6, Township 4 South, Range 5, East of the Third Principal Meridian. Since nothing is perfect, some sections of land ended up being larger or smaller than they should. Correction lines occur at every fourth township line or every 24 miles north and south of the baseline. Imagine trying to draw straight lines on a rubber ball. It is a rectangular approach to surveying the land breaking the district down to quadrangles of 24 miles. Note that the more detailed legal descriptions usually begin with the smallest area and work to the largest. are further subdivided into 36 one-mile-square, (each section is one square mile or 640 acres), then into quarter sections, quarter-quarter sections, or irregular, Beginning at an initial point, townships are surveyed in all directions. Since townships are six miles north to south and six miles east to west, each township is 36 square miles. 1 Square mile is equal to 640 acres. Monuments are also placed at quarter-section corners and at other important points, such as the corners of government lots. For example, a legal description of Missouri, Fifth Principal Meridian, T4S, R7E, sec 23 indicates a property that is 4 townships south and 7 townships east of the Fifth Principal Meridian in Missouri. Guide meridians run north to south, parallel with principal meridians. They are the starting points for describing a propertys boundaries. Only about half of the states in the United States still use the Rectangular Survey System. Because the rectangular or government survey system was instituted when the United States was a new country, it was used to describe most of the land west of the original 13 colonies, so most of you are likely to see some questions about this system.\r\n\r\nLongitude and latitude are imaginary lines that divide the earth through the north and south poles (longitude) and run parallel with the equator (latitude). The Metes and bounds system dates back centuries to the original 13 colonies, while the rectangular survey method was established in 1785 and used in all 36 states formed after that point. It is sometimes referred to as the recorded plat survey system, or the recorded map survey system. The Public Land Survey System is the surveying method developed and used in the United States to plat, or divide, real property for sale and settling. You can drill down by clicking on the land map, but you need to click the calc button to get the latitude and longitude. Specific directional references are needed in the actual description to locate a particular piece of property, but for finding out how large a particular piece of property is, only the fractions matter. Annexation in Real Estate: Method & Laws | What is Annexation? Course Hero is not sponsored or endorsed by any college or university. It is also known as the rectangular survey system and geodetic survey system. These townships are not the same as political subdivisions.\r\n

Each township is further divided into 36 sections of one square mile each, or 640 acres, by horizontal and vertical section lines. An area bounded on two sides by guide meridians and on the other two sides by correction lines is called a government check, check, or quadrangle, which is 24 miles square, meaning each of its boundaries is 24 miles long. These townships are not the same as political subdivisions. The following is a list of helpful terms:\r\n

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• Quadrangles: The basic squares of land of the rectangular survey system, quadrangles (also government checks, or just checks) are 24 miles square (that means each side is 24 miles long) and are delineated by a principal meridian and a baseline. Principal meridians run perpendicular to the earths equator, north to south. 1. ( the major vertical line) -37 in the U.S. Base Line The horizontal line ( the major one) Ranges Using the Fifth Principal Meridian in Missouri, the description would look like this: The W 1/2 of the SE 1/4 of Section 14, Township 2 South, Range 3 West of the Fifth Principal Meridian, Missouri. Areas smaller than full-size sections are known as government lots and are numbered and placed in fractional sections. The grid creates six-mile square townships that can then be further divided into 36 sections of one square mile each. . The Lot and Block System has a map showing lot dimensions approved by the Board of County Commissioners. Types of Tenancy in Real Estate | Overview, Leases & Examples, Lien Theory State vs. For example, you would say it is in township 3 north, range 5 east to identify a property. ","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":9566,"name":"John A. Yoegel","slug":"john-a-yoegel","description":"

  John A. Yoegel, PhD, is a certified real estate instructor and former board member of the Real Estate Educators Association. Jeff Davis with American Realty Academy, covering the infamous Government Rectangular Survey. Title Theory State | Rights, Differences & Purpose. However, in some areas of the country, a township refers to a legal municipality rather than a geographic area, which can lead to some confusion. The range and township lines create a 36-square-mile area called a township. They are often combined to create a more accurate map of property boundaries. For example, you would say, it is in township 3 north, range 5 east, to identify a property. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. The rectangular survey describes property location as fractions of sections, which are part of townships, and provide distance measurements from principal meridians, base lines and range lines. Way in which the U.S. government uses to subdivide public land. In reality, because of this earth curvature issue, many sections and townships vary from their exact area measurements. Rectangular Government Survey. For example, a Bound could be a road, tree, river, or large rock. The numbering changes directions in the third tier from right to left. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); Sign up for the newsletter to get exclusive real estate exam tips that I don't share anywhere else. The north-south line that runs through the initial point is a, ). When identifying property locations, you will always reference which principal meridian it is located near. A government check represents an area that measures 576 square miles.\r\n\r\nRemember that although these correction lines and guide meridians are the way the government deals with the issue of the earths curvature, it isnt the way the government survey system describes land. Sections can be divided in several ways, but basically for purposes of the United States Geological Survey (USGS), they are divided in quarter sections.

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• Quarter sections: The divisions of a section, quarter sections, are formed by dividing a section into fourths that are delineated by their direction from the center of the section (northwestNW, northeastNE, southeastSE, and southwestSW). I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. 1 Square mile is equal to 640 acres. The numbering changes directions in the third tier from right to left. These range lines form ranges. The rectangular survey system, often referred to as the government survey system, is based on a system of lines that form rectangles and squares throughout the. Originally proposed by Thomas Jefferson, the PLSS began shortly after the Revolutionary War, when the Federal government became responsible for large areas west of the thirteen original colonies. Metes and bounds were used as the primary survey method before 1785 and were fairly inaccurate, especially before GPS technology. The numbering continues directly beneath the sixth section, except that it progresses from left to right on the second tier. The government survey system divides the country into a huge grid using principal meridians that run north to south and baselines that run east to west. A government check represents an area that measures 576 square miles.\r\n\r\nRemember that although these correction lines and guide meridians are the way the government deals with the issue of the earths curvature, it isnt the way the government survey system describes land. Graphic depiction of the Rectangular Survey System. Accretion, Avulsion & Reliction: Definition & Effects, Extent of Ownership and Real Property: Air, Surface & Subsurface, Real Property vs. Real Estate | Concepts, Terms & Differences. This system has also become known as the rectangular survey system and geodetic survey system.. These divisions mean just that. As we mentioned earlier, two primary survey methods are used in the United States, the Metes and Bounds System, and the Rectangular Survey System. The Rectangular Survey System, also known as the Government Survey System or Public Land Survey System, is a method of plotting land boundaries in the United States using a large grid made up of rectangles. It references principal meridians and baselines designated throughout the The system uses Metes, which are straight lines connecting two points, and Bounds, which are identifiable aspects of a property. Actual Notice in Real Estate: Types & Examples | What is Actual Notice?

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