Putting the above description into words is half of a quarter section. There may also be questions about how much land is in a specific plot or section. The area created by the intersection of a township line and a range line is a township. The township is the basic unit of measurement in the rectangular survey system. 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 second set of lines are called baselines and run east and 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. The grid is further divided by lines that run parallel to and between the principal meridian lines, called range lines, and lines that run parallel to and between the baselines, called township lines. It is a rectangular approach to surveying the land breaking the district down to quadrangles of 24 miles. A simple approach to a complex concept, Jeff gives students practical guidance that can be used on any Government Rectangular Survey question. Principal meridians run perpendicular to the earths equator, north to south. Township locations are identified by tier or township lines and ranges. Halves are 320 acres, and quarters are each 160 acres. Shawn Custer has taught college-level English, composition, and literature for over six years. The following is a list of helpful terms:\r\n![\"real](\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/real-estate-exam-sections.jpg\")
Sections can be divided in a variety of ways, including quarters and smaller sections. Surveyed land was sold by the government, providing important revenue for the cash-starved nation. We know that there are 640 acres in one section, and we are taking a 1/4 of a 1/2 section. All rights reserved. The boundary of each township is 6 miles long, so a township contains 36 square miles and is described as being 6 miles square. Tips to Understanding the Legal Description - PropLogix You need to know what these lines are called and how they intersect for your real estate license exam. As the United States grew from its original 13 colonies, a system was needed to identify who owned what land. Using those lines for references, quadrangles are formed, which are smaller squares identifiable by where they are located near the principal meridian and baseline. Also known as the Rectangular Survey System, it was created by the Land Ordinance of 1785 to survey land ceded to the United States by the Treaty of Paris in 1783, following the end of the American Revolution. The rectangular survey or government survey describes land by reference to a. . Principal meridians, baselines, and where they intersect (cross each other) are used as the basis for formulating property descriptions in this system. Township lines run east and west and are also found six miles apart. - The system, which was adopted in 1785, is also called the U.S. System of Rectangular Surveys or the rectangular method. In legal documents, such as a lien, deed, trust deed, mortgage, and sales contract, courts require an exact description of where a piece of land is located. Then the numbering drops down to 13 and goes right to left again and so forth: Each section of 640 acres can be divided into halves and quarters called, get this, half sections and quarter sections. The squares created by range and township lines are known as townships and are identified by their location from the baseline and principal meridian lines. That means it is 3 townships north of the baseline and 5 townships east of the principal meridian. 1 Square mile is equal to 640 acres. 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). Principal meridians, baselines, and where they intersect (cross each other) are used as the basis for formulating property descriptions in this system. The largest grid comprises of two types of lines, principal meridians, and baselines. Understand its process through the given examples. Quarter sections have an area of 160 acres.\r\n \tHalf sections: Half section is a description of any two abutting quarter sections within a section, usually accompanied by a directional notation indicating the half of the section in which the two quarter sections are located. Imagine trying to draw straight lines on a rubber ball. Sections can be further subdivided into quarter sections, quarter-quarter sections, or irregular government lots. Legal descriptions under the Rectangular Survey System include the state, the principal meridian, the township designated by number and direction, and the section number. Rectangular Survey System - Real Estate Exam Ninja I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. The following is a list of the more commonly required landscape and surveying items that were either required or requested be noted, over much of the nineteenth century. Today, the BLM controls the survey, sale, and settling of lands acquired by the United States. The Rectangular Survey System provides for a unit of land approximately 24 miles square, bounded by base lines running east and west, and meridians running north and south. As each territory or state opened new public lands, the government identified a meridian (running north and south) and a base line (running east and west) to guide all future land surveys in that area. For example, a piece of land could be identified as the southeast quarter of section 18 of a township, which would be 160 acres. Three Different Types of Legal Descriptions for a Property - ExamSmart The implementation of the system begins with the identification of the reference lines: the east-west line called the Base Line and the north-south line is also known for the name principal meridian. The township is the basic unit of measurement in the rectangular survey system. by six miles square (for a total area of 36 square miles or 23,040 acres). There are 37 principal meridians in the national survey, which are referred to when. It was originally proposed by U.S. President Thomas Jefferson as a means of keeping track of the ever-expanding land area of the United States. Principal meridians, baselines, and where they intersect (cross each other) are used as the basis for formulating property descriptions in this system. Metes and Bounds surveys are still used in many states; however, they differ from the Public Land Survey System as they are not based on any grid but instead identify objects on the land, measurements, and compass directions. To learn more about these land descriptions, view our Real Estate Principles course, which provides information on ethics of practice, titles to and conveyance of real estate, deeds encumbrances and liens, distinctions between personal and real property, appraisal, finance and regulations, and more. It made sense since it was centrally located. The system is used to divide public lands into townships, sections, halves, and quarters. A Metes and Bounds survey may read something like commencing from the large apple tree 1 mile to the north, west along the river bed. However, rivers can be moved, and trees can die, so as you can see, this method is wildly inaccurate over time. Doing the math, its 1/2 1/4 640 = 80 acres.\r\n\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_274746\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"556\"]![\"quarter](\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/real-estate-exam-quarter-section.jpg\")
A quarter section can be split into smaller parts. 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. Townships have an area of 36 square miles, more or less, and are each further divided into 36 sections. \r\n \tSections: The divisions of a township, sections, are one mile square and have an area of one square mile, or 640 acres. School University of Minnesota, Duluth; Course Title MARKETING MISC; Uploaded By MajorTarsierMaster692. These surveys, completed between 1848 and May 1857 were primarily on land located between the St. Croix and Mississippi rivers or in the southeastern corner of Minnesota. Following the passage of the Northwest Ordinance in 1787, the Surveyor General of the Northwest Territory platted lands in the Northwest Territory. For example, you would say it is in township 3 north, range 5 east to identify a property. Each section is numbered, starting at the top right corner and going back and forth, left to right, in a serpentine pattern. Guide meridians run true north, and the intersecting correction line is shorter than a township line. First, the system makes it easier to divide large areas of land into like-sized parcels, as large as 640 square miles to as small as 2.5 acres. ( the major vertical line) -37 in the U.S. Base Line The horizontal line ( the major one) Ranges Quarter sections have an area of 160 acres. \r\n \tHalf sections: Half section is a description of any two abutting quarter sections within a section, usually accompanied by a directional notation indicating the half of the section in which the two quarter sections are located. It can be a quick and relatively straightforward way of dividing large areas of land into manageable, legally identifiable sections from the very large to the fairly small. 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. Also Check: Government Regulations For Nonprofit Organizations. 276 lessons A mailing label lists your name, street address, city, state, and country. The legal description includes the state name, the meridian name, the township and range directions, and usually the section number. Although the lines start out the same distance apart, they get closer together as you get near one or the other end of the ball.\r\n\r\nCorrection lines and guide meridians were established to correct this problem in the government survey system. In reality, because of this earth curvature issue, many sections and townships vary from their exact area measurements. ","hasArticle":false,"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/authors/9566"}}],"_links":{"self":"https://dummies-api.dummies.com/v2/books/282532"}},"collections":[],"articleAds":{"footerAd":"","rightAd":""},"articleType":{"articleType":"Articles","articleList":null,"content":null,"videoInfo":{"videoId":null,"name":null,"accountId":null,"playerId":null,"thumbnailUrl":null,"description":null,"uploadDate":null}},"sponsorship":{"sponsorshipPage":false,"backgroundImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"brandingLine":"","brandingLink":"","brandingLogo":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0},"sponsorAd":"","sponsorEbookTitle":"","sponsorEbookLink":"","sponsorEbookImage":{"src":null,"width":0,"height":0}},"primaryLearningPath":"Advance","lifeExpectancy":"Two years","lifeExpectancySetFrom":null,"dummiesForKids":"no","sponsoredContent":"no","adInfo":"","adPairKey":[]},"status":"publish","visibility":"public","articleId":274745},"articleLoadedStatus":"success"},"listState":{"list":{},"objectTitle":"","status":"initial","pageType":null,"objectId":null,"page":1,"sortField":"time","sortOrder":1,"categoriesIds":[],"articleTypes":[],"filterData":{},"filterDataLoadedStatus":"initial","pageSize":10},"adsState":{"pageScripts":{"headers":{"timestamp":"2023-02-01T15:50:01+00:00"},"adsId":0,"data":{"scripts":[{"pages":["all"],"location":"header","script":"\r\n","enabled":false},{"pages":["all"],"location":"header","script":"\r\n
- \r\n \t
- 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. What Is Chattel in Real Estate and Property? 10.B.3 Government Survey System Flashcards | Quizlet Moreover, the astronomical observations will then determine the areas latitude and longitude. In the entire nation, there are only 36 principal meridians. - Definition & Types, Rectangular Survey System: Definition & Uses, Measuring the Area of a Rectangle: Formula & Examples, Fair Housing & Consumer Protection Laws in Real Estate, Property Condition Disclosure Statements in Real Estate, Real Estate Closing & Settlement Procedures, Real Estate Taxes, Warranties & Insurance, Real Estate Ethics & Professional Responsibility, DSST Business Ethics and Society: Study Guide & Test Prep, CLEP Principles of Marketing: Study Guide & Test Prep, NES Business Education (309): Practice & Study Guide, How to Positively Influence Others in the Workplace, OSAT Marketing Education (CEOE) (041): Practice & Study Guide, Maintaining Records in a Florida Real Estate Office, Seamless Application in a Wireless Network: Definition & Requirements, Working Scholars Bringing Tuition-Free College to the Community. Guide meridians run north to south, parallel with principal meridians. He teaches pre-licensing and continuing education courses for salespeople, brokers, and appraisers. The range and township lines create a 36-square-mile area called a township. A Metes and Bounds survey may read something like commencing from the large apple tree 1 mile to the north, west along the river bed. That means it is 3 townships north of the baseline and 5 townships east of the principal meridian. Each one is distinguished by a different name and number and has an intersecting baseline. The rectangular survey system may just be a giant grid covering the United States, but understanding how it is used can seem a little complex, so stick with us while we cover the basic definitions.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'realestatelicensewizard_com-box-4','ezslot_11',688,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-realestatelicensewizard_com-box-4-0'); The largest grid comprises of two types of lines, principal meridians, and baselines. The system is based on the principle of surveying the land from a fixed point, called a baseline, and . The land is then further divided into quadrangles. There is more than one type of legal description you must know for your exam. Also known as the rectangular survey system or public land survey system, the government survey system refers to a federal land survey system that uses (north and south lines) meridians and (east and west lines) base lines. Quadrangles have an area of 576 square miles, more or less, and are divided into 16 townships. \r\n \t
- Townships: The divisions of a quadrangle, townships, are six miles square (six miles on each side) and are delineated by township lines. [/caption]\r\n\r\nA full rectangular survey system property description might read:\r\n
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. The first sets of lines respectively are called principal meridians, which run north and south, and baselines, which run east and west. The rectangular survey system was enacted by the Land Ordinance Act of 1785. He teaches pre-licensing and continuing education courses for salespeople, brokers, and appraisers. Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. It is considered as one of the most significant subdividing of the United States mainland. The numbering then moves from right to left across that first upper tier. 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. A system of fractional sections and government lots are parts of standard practice to account for these discrepancies.\r\n\r\nSo how does the system describe 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.
\r\n \t - 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). There are 16 townships in each quadrangle. Rectangular (Government) Survey System Definition - Boston Pads As mentioned above, basically you can think of the US as a huge checkerboard, with vertical and horizontal lines splitting it up. The Rectangular Survey System was established in 1785 to identify, divide, and measure land, creating boundary lines for property owners. a rectangular system of land survey that divides a district into 24-square mile quadrangles from the meridian (north-south line) and the baseline (east-west line); the tracts are divided into 6-mile-square parts called townships, which are in turn divided into 36 tracts, each 1 mile square, called sections. Whenever properties have irregular boundaries, the land may be further described using one of the two other systems described in this section. Just imagine you are to layout an area of land based on the geography, the meets, and bound system will show you the visible marks of the land. Land Description Government Rectangular Survey For 2019 | Real Estate Exam Prep. The boundary of each township is 6 miles long, so a township contains 36 square miles and is described as being 6 miles square. Definition Of Rectangular Survey In Real Estate Also Check: Government To Forgive Student Loan Debt. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. The township is the basic unit of measurement in the rectangular survey system. The legal description can be further described by indicating which directional half or quadrants of the section, as well. Standard parallels run east to west along with the baseline. A system of fractional sections and government lots are parts of standard practice to account for these discrepancies.\r\n\r\nSo how does the system describe land? Actual Notice in Real Estate: Types & Examples | What is Actual Notice? Half sections have an area of 320 acres. It is primarily used throughout the United States with the exception of the thirteen colonies, which was surveyed by the metes and bound method . Which States Use the Rectangular Survey System. The fifth township south of the baseline and fourth to the west of the principal meridian would be identified as Missouri, Fifth Principal Meridian, Township 5 South, Range 4 West, or Missouri, Fifth Principal Meridian, T5S, R4W. Guide meridians and standard parallels form quadrangles. It is a rectangular approach to surveying the land breaking the district down to quadrangles of 24 miles. When identifying property locations, you will always reference which principal meridian it is located near. This system created a checkerboard of identical squares using longitude lines and latitude lines . In other words, after section number 6, it drops down to 7 on the next tier then goes left to right to number 12. The numbering continues directly beneath the sixth section, except that it progresses from left to right on the second tier. How Do You Use the Rectangular Survey System? These sections are referred to as fractional sections. Sections can be further divided into halves and quarters. 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 . Real Estate License Exam: The Rectangular Survey System There are 36 sections in a township, and each section contains one square mile, which is 640 acres. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The first is the Metes and Bounds surveythe second is the Rectangular Survey System, also known as the Government Survey System or Public Lands Survey System. The government survey system is known by a few different names. The land is then further divided into quadrangles. 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. Think about two more lines running up and down the page on top of the first two lines, also about an inch apart. True of False - When land is mapped on the rectangular survey system, you locate the parcel by reading the directions from left to right. Rectangular Government Survey. How Do Metes and Bounds Differ From the Rectangular Survey System? You got it: Tic tac toe. These smaller parcels are identified by their directional location within the section. Previous to the Public Land Survey System, land was surveyed using a confusing landmark-based system called metes and bounds. So, there can be the north, south, east, or west half section. \r\n
Sections can be divided in a variety of ways, including quarters and smaller sections. Surveyed land was sold by the government, providing important revenue for the cash-starved nation. We know that there are 640 acres in one section, and we are taking a 1/4 of a 1/2 section. All rights reserved. The boundary of each township is 6 miles long, so a township contains 36 square miles and is described as being 6 miles square. Tips to Understanding the Legal Description - PropLogix You need to know what these lines are called and how they intersect for your real estate license exam. As the United States grew from its original 13 colonies, a system was needed to identify who owned what land. Using those lines for references, quadrangles are formed, which are smaller squares identifiable by where they are located near the principal meridian and baseline. Also known as the Rectangular Survey System, it was created by the Land Ordinance of 1785 to survey land ceded to the United States by the Treaty of Paris in 1783, following the end of the American Revolution. The rectangular survey or government survey describes land by reference to a. . Principal meridians, baselines, and where they intersect (cross each other) are used as the basis for formulating property descriptions in this system. Township lines run east and west and are also found six miles apart. - The system, which was adopted in 1785, is also called the U.S. System of Rectangular Surveys or the rectangular method. In legal documents, such as a lien, deed, trust deed, mortgage, and sales contract, courts require an exact description of where a piece of land is located. Then the numbering drops down to 13 and goes right to left again and so forth: Each section of 640 acres can be divided into halves and quarters called, get this, half sections and quarter sections. The squares created by range and township lines are known as townships and are identified by their location from the baseline and principal meridian lines. That means it is 3 townships north of the baseline and 5 townships east of the principal meridian. 1 Square mile is equal to 640 acres. 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). Principal meridians, baselines, and where they intersect (cross each other) are used as the basis for formulating property descriptions in this system. The largest grid comprises of two types of lines, principal meridians, and baselines. Understand its process through the given examples. Quarter sections have an area of 160 acres.\r\n \t A quarter section can be split into smaller parts. 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. Townships have an area of 36 square miles, more or less, and are each further divided into 36 sections.