Unit 8: Legal Descriptions

Texas Real Estate

Air lot

A designated airspace over a piece of land. An air lot, like surface property, may be transferred.

Base line

One set of imaginary lines running east and west and crossing a principal meridian at a definite point, used by surveyors for reference in locating and describing land under the rectangular survey ( or government survey) system of property description.

Benchmark

A permanent reference mark or point established for use by surveyors measuring differences in elevation.

Datum

A horizontal plane from which heights and depths are measured

Improvement Survey

Legal description

A specific parcel of real estate complete enough for an independent surveyor to locate and identify it.

Metes and bounds

a legal description of a parcel of land that begins at a well-marked point and follows the boundaries, using direction and distances around the tract back to the place of beginning.

Monument

a fixed natural or artificial object used to establish real estate boundaries for and metes-and-bounds description

Point (place) of beginning

In a metes-and-bounds legal description, the starting point of the survey, situated in one corner of the parcel'; all metes-and-bounds descriptions must follow the boundaries of the parcel back to the point of beginning.

Principal meridian

One of the 37 north and south survey lines established and defined as part of the rectangular survey ( government survey) system.

Range

A strip of land six miles wide, extending north and south, and numbered east and west according to its distance from the principal meridian in the rectangular (government) survey system of land description.

Recorded Subdivision plat

A subdivision map filed in the county recorder’s office that shows the location and boundaries (lot and block number) of individual parcels of land; contract with rectangular system with metes-and-bounds description.

Rectangular survey system

A system established in 1785 by the federal government providing for surveying and describing land by reference to principal meridians and base lines. Also called the government survey system. Not used in Texas.

Section

A square with mile-long sides and an area of one square miles, or 640 acres.

Survey

The process by which boundaries are measured and land areas are determined , onsite measurement of lot lines, dimensions, and position of a house on a lot, including the determination of any existing encroachment or easements.

Survey sketch

Shows the location of the parcel

Township line

Lines running at six-mile intervals parallel to the base lines in the rectangular survey (government survey) system; not used in Texas.

Township square

The principal unit of the rectangular survey ( government survey) system. A township is a square with 6-mile sides and an area of 36 square miles; not used in Texas.

Township tier

A strip of land running east and west in the government ( rectangular) survey system; not used in Texas.