Every fourth township line is called a correction line, and every fourth range line is called a guide meridian. The numbering changes directions in the third tier from right to left. You may even see a question or two about the numbering system used for sections. She has a Masters in English and Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University and a Bachelor's in English from Thomas Edison State University. 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. The numbering then moves from right to left across that first upper tier. 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. 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. The PLSS typically divides land into 6-mile-square townships. 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. 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. When identifying property locations, you will always reference which principal meridian it is located near. The grid creates six-mile square townships that can then be further divided into 36 sections of one square mile each. Also Check: Government Regulations For Nonprofit Organizations. The description is abbreviated as T1N, R2E. Simply multiply 640 by or 0.25, which equals 160, then multiply 160 by 1/2 or 0.5, which equals 80. Constructive Notice in Real Estate Overview & Law | What is Constructive Notice? (This description refers to a 10-acre parcel of land. 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. Sections also are numbered consecutively. The system became official with the Land Ordinance Act of 1785. Were not done yet. Section information is added to the property description as such: Missouri, Fifth Principal Meridian, T5S, R4W, sec 24. Beginning with the Seven Ranges in present-day Ohio, the PLSS has been used as the primary survey method in the United States. The Rectangular Survey System is a method of surveying designed to divide the real property into specified plots. 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. )\r\nThe description probably would include the state and county in which the property is located and use abbreviations. 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. The system uses Metes, which are straight lines connecting two points, and Bounds, which are identifiable aspects of a property. We have Quarter sections, Half sections, township sections, townships, quadrangles, and principal meridians with baselines. Quarter sections have an area of 160 acres.\r\n \t

Half 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. 2021 KnowYourGovernment.netContact us: [emailprotected], Introduction to administration of Web Survey System Part 2, Estimating a weighted average CSR2 in Iowa using the USDA NRCS Web Soil Survey, How To Find Lost Money From The Government, What Is The Interest Rate On Government Student Loans, Local Government Federal Credit Union App, When Is Open Enrollment For Government Healthcare, Government Grants For Commercial Real Estate, Government Regulations For Nonprofit Organizations, Surveyor General of the Northwest Territory, Energy Efficient Windows Government Grants, Mortgage Loans For Federal Government Employees, Free Government Foreclosure Listings With Pictures. Putting the above description into words is half of a quarter section. 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. Manage Settings As the United States grew from its original 13 colonies, a system was needed to identify who owned what land. The rectangular survey or government survey describes. They are the starting points for describing a propertys boundaries. The area includes sections (1 mile on each side), townships (6 miles on each side), and quadrangles (24 miles on each side). The Rectangular Survey System is a method of surveying designed to divide the real property into specified plots. Some data is missing in this version that is included in the old version. The rectangular survey system is the method of forming specific plots, used commonly in the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) in America. Following the passage of the Northwest Ordinance in 1787, the Surveyor General of the Northwest Territory platted lands in the Northwest Territory. Principal meridians, quadrangles, townships, then sections its that easy, dont overthink it.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'realestatelicensewizard_com-leader-1','ezslot_6',691,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-realestatelicensewizard_com-leader-1-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'realestatelicensewizard_com-leader-1','ezslot_7',691,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-realestatelicensewizard_com-leader-1-0_1');.leader-1-multi-691{border:none!important;display:block!important;float:none!important;line-height:0;margin-bottom:15px!important;margin-left:auto!important;margin-right:auto!important;margin-top:15px!important;max-width:100%!important;min-height:250px;min-width:250px;padding:0;text-align:center!important}. Putting the above description into words is half of a quarter section. The boundary of each township is 6 miles long, so a township contains 36 square miles and is described as being 6 miles square. But the final plan included subdivision of the lands into townships, then into sections and further into aliquot parts. Water & Littoral Rights Concept & Purpose | What are Water Rights? 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 . The Rectangular Survey System is the basis for the PLSS and is used to survey all public lands in the United States. Now, 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. 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. Standard Parallels are also called as correction lines for the meridians to compensate for the curvature of the earth. I would definitely recommend Study.com to my colleagues. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. Previous to the Public Land Survey System, land was surveyed using a confusing landmark-based system called metes and bounds. (The figure below shows a variety of divisions in a quarter section. So how does the system describe land? Sections also are numbered consecutively. Finally, sections can be further divided into halves or quarters that are named for their direction within the section: the east half, the west half, the north half, the south half, the northwest quarter, the northeast quarter, the southwest quarter, and the southeast quarter. The government survey system legal land description method is the subject of this article. Principal meridians run perpendicular to the earths equator, north to south. The first set of lines are called the principal meridians and run north and south. As we mentioned earlier, two primary survey methods are used in the United States, the Metes and Bounds System, and the Rectangular Survey System. [/caption]\r\n\r\nEach section of 640 acres can be divided into halves and quarters called, get this, half sections and quarter sections. This point will be the basis for all government surveys in the area it controls, and its latitude and longitude are fixed by astronomical observations. The townships are consecutively numbered by their location within the intersection of multiple range lines and township lines. 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. So, in the example above, Township 4 South would be T4S. Lines that are parallel to the Base Line are called the standard parallels which run at 24-mile intervals north and south of the Base Line. Each one is distinguished by a different name and number and has an intersecting baseline. Rectangular Government Survey. There are few subdivisions beyond the sections and quarter sections. Metes and bounds were used as the primary survey method before 1785 and were fairly inaccurate, especially before GPS technology. Metes & Bounds System in Real Estate | Metes & Bounds Survey Examples & Legal Description. Section 16 is located directly in the center of the section and historically was always designated as the school section. Read Also: Government Grants For Commercial Real Estate. Remember 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. Each township is further divided into 36 sections of one square mile each, or 640 acres, by horizontal and vertical section lines. The numbering then moves from right to left across that first upper tier. For the real estate exam, youll need to know the two primary survey methods. Enrolling in a course lets you earn progress by passing quizzes and exams. 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. Townships have an area of 36 square miles, more or less, and are each further divided into 36 sections.

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Sections: The divisions of a township, sections, are one mile square and have an area of one square mile, or 640 acres. A government check represents an area that measures 576 square miles. Shawn Custer has taught college-level English, composition, and literature for over six years. The principal meridians and baselines are based respectively on lines of longitude and latitude.\r\n\r\nYoure likely to see at least a few questions on the on calculating the area of part of a section, and youll also see questions about terminology and some of the measurements that the rectangular survey system uses. Think about two more lines running up and down the page on top of the first two lines, also about an inch apart. The numbering changes directions in the third tier from right to left. For example, how many acres are there if you take the North East of the South 1/2 of section 3 in township 8 North and range 5 west? Marketable Title Overview & Importance | What is a Marketable Title? 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. What Is Chattel in Real Estate and Property? 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. Texas Real Estate Sales Agent Exam: Practice & Study Guide, Michigan Real Estate Broker Exam: Study Guide & Practice, Michigan Real Estate Salesperson Exam: Study Guide & Practice, Georgia Real Estate Salesperson Exam: Study Guide & Practice, West Virginia Real Estate Broker Exam: Study Guide & Practice, West Virginia Real Estate Salesperson Exam: Study Guide & Practice, Wyoming Real Estate Broker Exam: Study Guide & Practice, California Real Estate Salesperson Exam: Study Guide, Virginia Real Estate Salesperson Licensing Exam: Study Guide, Arizona Real Estate Salesperson Licensing Exam: Study Guide, Arizona Real Estate Broker License Exam: Study Guide, North Carolina Real Estate Broker License: Study Guide, Florida Real Estate Sales Associate Exam: Test Prep & Study Guide, Tennessee Real Estate Broker Exam: Study Guide & Practice, Tennessee Real Estate Affiliate Broker Exam: Study Guide & Practice, Maryland Real Estate Broker Exam: Study Guide & Practice, Maryland Real Estate Salesperson Exam: Study Guide & Practice, Montana Real Estate Broker Exam: Study Guide & Practice, Kentucky Real Estate Broker Exam: Study Guide & Practice, Create an account to start this course today.
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