As with most things, there are pros and cons of using the Rectangular Survey System. You may even see a question or two about the numbering system used for sections. You can think of this system as a gigantic checkerboard, as it has a bunch of intersecting lines that form squares into a grid. . These divisions mean just that. The Base Line in United States Rectangular Survey System meets its principal meridian at the point of origin, or initial point, for the survey of the land. Marketable Title Overview & Importance | What is a Marketable Title? The Surveyor General was later merged with the General Land Office, which later became a part of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management . For example, a Bound could be a road, tree, river, or large rock. There are various issues with the names on the very small land parcels in several states. The guide meridians occur every 24 miles east and west of the principal meridian. According to historian Matthew Dennis, this rectangular survey system allowed the leaders of the young government to apply their "nationalistic, scientific, and engineering mentality in transforming the continental landscape of North America, reconceptualizing its space, subduing and organizing it, and distributing it to white yeoman farmers in 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. To find the area of something we take the length times the width. These range lines form ranges. School University of Minnesota, Duluth; Course Title MARKETING MISC; Uploaded By MajorTarsierMaster692. 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? 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 second set of lines are called baselines and run east and west. Simply multiply 640 by or 0.25, which equals 160, then multiply 160 by 1/2 or 0.5, which equals 80. . You have 80 acres in that plot of land, and that is your answer. Remember, there are 36 square miles in a township, and each section is 1 square mile. Many areas in the other states are also more accurate. 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. [/caption]\r\n

Each half or quarter section can be further subdivided into halves and quarters. \"https://sb\" : \"http://b\") + \".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js\";el.parentNode.insertBefore(s, el);})();\r\n","enabled":true},{"pages":["all"],"location":"footer","script":"\r\n

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Metes and bounds were used as the primary survey method before 1785 and were fairly inaccurate, especially before GPS technology. There is more than one type of legal description you must know for your exam. It is extended north from the Base Line and runs at 24 miles east and west from the principal meridian. Of course, this still makes up a lot of land, so townships are further divided into sections. ( the major vertical line) -37 in the U.S. Base Line The horizontal line ( the major one) Ranges 1 Square mile is equal to 640 acres. Putting the above description into words is half of a quarter section. The townships are consecutively numbered by their location within the intersection of multiple range lines and township lines. The description is abbreviated as T1N, R2E. Sections are numbered from the northeast (top right) corner, running first horizontally to the west and then down and back to the east in a serpentine pattern. 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 numbering changes directions in the third tier from right to left. As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 88,000 They are the starting points for describing a propertys boundaries. lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. Legal descriptions under the Rectangular Survey System include the state, the principal meridian, the township designated by number and direction, and the section number. The Rectangular Survey Method established a standard measurement and origin point for all properties to follow using a grid system. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Which States Use the Rectangular Survey System. The rectangular survey system is comprised of principal meridian lines that cover most states in the US, running north to south and baselines running east to west. Since nothing is perfect, some sections of land ended up being larger or smaller than they should. 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. Way in which the U.S. government uses to subdivide public land. The first set of lines are called the principal meridians and run north and south. 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. The numbering changes directions in the third tier from right to left. A mailing label lists your name, street address, city, state, and country. Rectangular Government Survey System The rectangular government survey system -also known as the Public Land Survey Halves are 320 acres, and quarters are each 160 acres. Since the earth is not flat like a checkerboard, there needed to be some adjustments made along the way to make sure everything worked out. That means it is 3 townships north of the baseline and 5 townships east of the principal meridian. [/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 system uses Metes, which are straight lines connecting two points, and Bounds, which are identifiable aspects of a property. The Rectangular Survey System, also known as the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) or the Government Survey System, is a way of measuring and establishing boundary lines for large areas of. Take for example there is a shared baseline in both Nebraska and Kansas as both states border is at the 40th parallel north. Principal meridians, baselines, and where they intersect (cross each other) are used as the basis for formulating property descriptions in this system. For example, you would say, it is in township 3 north, range 5 east, to identify a property. For the real estate exam, youll need to know the two primary survey methods. Township locations are identified by tier or township lines and ranges. Of course. These tools will help you assess your knowledge of concepts pertaining to the Rectangular Survey System. The Rectangular Survey System is used for surveying land for sale and settling, along with the Metes and Bounds survey method. 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. Join over 10,000 subscribers and pass your exam today! 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. Townships are subdivided into 36 one-mile- square sections. Its worth noting; quadrangles are not used when identifying land with the rectangular survey method, only the principal meridians, baselines, and townships and sections. Baselines run parallel to the earths equator, from east to west. 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. 6 b/c each township is divided in 36 sections, each section is 1 sq mile; 36/6 = 6 in each row. Monuments are also placed at quarter-section corners and at other important points, such as the corners of government lots. He decided to install sewer and underground electric for the entire subdivision, because he thinks that he will easily recoup his initial infrastructure investment. -also known as the Public Land Survey System (PLSS), because it was originally, used to survey federally owned blocks of land-is regulated by the, The rectangular government survey system is used in 30 western and southern states. The following is a list of helpful terms: Correction lines and guide meridians were established to correct this problem in the government survey system. Using principal meridians and baselines as points of reference, land areas are divided by two kinds of lines, township lines and range lines. Base lines These range lines form ranges. Guide meridians and standard parallels form quadrangles. Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. 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. Title Theory State | Rights, Differences & Purpose. All township locations are defined by referencing how from they are from the principal meridian and baseline. 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. flashcard sets. The rectangular government survey system is the most common system used in the United States to create legal descriptions for real estate. The sections are number 1 through 36 starting in the NE corner of the section continuing west along the top row. Yes, but first you need to know the dimensions and measurements of a township. Whether it's to pass that big test, qualify for that big promotion or even master that cooking technique; people who rely on dummies, rely on it to learn the critical skills and relevant information necessary for success. is a way of subdividing and describing land in the United States. These townships are not the same as political subdivisions. Each piece of land is measured only from one meridian, and it may not be the one closest in proximity to the piece of land. It uses the 37 principal meridian lines that run north to south across the U.S. and baselines that run east to west. Range lines run parallel to the principal meridian and determine how far east and west the township is of that meridian.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'realestatelicensewizard_com-banner-1','ezslot_5',689,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-realestatelicensewizard_com-banner-1-0'); All township locations are defined by referencing how from they are from the principal meridian and baseline. It is the lands boundary lines that also have terminal points and angles. This indicates that the property is between the baseline and the first township line to the north and between the first and second range lines to the east of the fifth principal meridian. A full rectangular survey system property description might read: By entering your email address and clicking the Submit button, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy & to receive electronic communications from Dummies.com, which may include marketing promotions, news and updates. Half sections have an area of 320 acres. The real estate exam probably wont ask you what states use the Metes and Bounds system or the Rectangular Survey System, but they may ask you which system your state uses. We have Quarter sections, Half sections, township sections, townships, quadrangles, and principal meridians with baselines. The following is a list of helpful terms:\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. Explain. 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. 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. The Rectangular Survey System, also known as the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) or the Government Survey System, is a way of measuring and establishing boundary lines for large areas of land. Every fourth township line is called a correction line, and every fourth range line is called a guide meridian. The numbering then moves from right to left across that first upper tier. For example, a Bound could be a road, tree, river, or large rock. ","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":"
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