Government Survey Systems were originally created by the US Congress in 1785 as a way of identifying land faster and more accurately. Take for example there is a shared baseline in both Nebraska and Kansas as both states border is at the 40th parallel north. Where the two range lines and two township lines intersect, they form a township. It made sense since it was centrally located. 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. Manage Settings Graphic depiction of the Rectangular Survey System. It is sometimes referred to as the recorded plat survey system, or the recorded map survey system. 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 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. Remember, there are 36 square miles in a township, and each section is 1 square mile. 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. The numbering then moves from right to left across that first upper tier. 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. Each one is distinguished by a different name and number and has an intersecting baseline. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. The image does not specifically designate which meridian or state, but as they are all divided and labeled the same, this could represent any section of land along any meridian that would be identified in the legal description. Simply multiply 640 by or 0.25, which equals 160, then multiply 160 by 1/2 or 0.5, which equals 80. Just because they are referred to as government lots does not mean the government owns the land they contain. 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. [/caption]\r\n
Each half or quarter section can be further subdivided into halves and quarters. - 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. Definition of "Government rectangular survey". ","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. The rectangular survey system is based on principal meridians and base lines determined by precise scientific measurements. 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). There are several advantages of the rectangular land survey system. Surveyed land was sold by the government, providing important revenue for the cash-starved nation. These divisions mean just that. Many plans have been made on how to subdivide the public domain lands. Putting the above description into words is half of a quarter section. 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. D. Rectangular government survey C Jacob is a developer who purchased 78 acres and had it subdivided into halfacre lots. It is a rectangular approach to surveying the land breaking the district down to quadrangles of 24 miles. For instance, a quarter section always contains 160 acres, or a fourth of the total 640 acres in a section. 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. The survey system essentially functions the same way. What Is the Rectangular Survey System Used For? Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you Remember, there are 36 square miles in a township, and each section is 1 square mile. So, there can be the north, south, east, or west half section.\r\n\r\nBecause of the curvature of the earth, the lines in the government survey system are only theoretically straight. 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. The township is the basic unit of measurement in the rectangular survey system. Land Description Government Rectangular Survey For 2019 | Real Estate Exam Prep. Note that the more detailed legal descriptions usually begin with the smallest area and work to the largest. He teaches pre-licensing and continuing education courses for salespeople, brokers, and appraisers. 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. He teaches pre-licensing and continuing education courses for salespeople, brokers, and appraisers. as starting points. 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 section in the bottom left corner, the southwest corner, is section 36. Ian is a 3D printing and digital design entrepreneur with over five years of professional experience. 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? 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. After the Revolutionary War ended, the United States Government needed a way to describe lands in the West to insure locating and selling. \"https://sb\" : \"http://b\") + \".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js\";el.parentNode.insertBefore(s, el);})();\r\n","enabled":true},{"pages":["all"],"location":"footer","script":"\r\n
![\"townships\"](\"https://www.dummies.com/wp-content/uploads/real-estate-exam-townships.jpg\")
Townships are divided into 36 sections numbered consecutively. However, rivers can be moved, and trees can die, so as you can see, this method is wildly inaccurate over time. The system uses Metes, which are straight lines connecting two points, and Bounds, which are identifiable aspects of a property. Explain. 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. The numbering changes directions in the third tier from right to left. The Rectangular Survey System was established in 1785 to identify, divide, and measure land, creating boundary lines for property owners. 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. 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. )\r\nThe description probably would include the state and county in which the property is located and use abbreviations. For example, you would say it is in township 3 north, range 5 east to identify a property. Furthermore, how well individual surveying parties actually met the requirements or recommendations at the time, also varied. Metes and bounds were used as the primary survey method before 1785 and were fairly inaccurate, especially before GPS technology. The rectangular survey system was enacted by the Land Ordinance Act of 1785. The creation of the legal description for the Governmental Survey System is based on special longitude and latitude lines called principal meridians and base lines. 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? Title Theory State | Rights, Differences & Purpose. The grid creates six-mile square townships that can then be further divided into 36 sections of one square mile each. 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). For example, a Bound could be a road, tree, river, or large rock. Dont Miss: Work From Home Government Jobs. Many areas in the other states are also more accurate. The government survey system legal land description method is the subject of this article. The first sets of lines respectively are called principal meridians, which run north and south, and baselines, which run east and west. 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. You may even see a question or two about the numbering system used for sections. These townships are not the same as political subdivisions.\r\nEach township is further divided into 36 sections of one square mile each, or 640 acres, by horizontal and vertical section lines. Dummies helps everyone be more knowledgeable and confident in applying what they know. These smaller parcels are identified by their directional location within the section. For example, a piece of land could be identified as the southeast quarter of section 18 of a township, which would be 160 acres. Since the lines that create them are six miles apart, they are 24 miles around and include an area of 36 square miles, which is 23,040 acres. Definition of "Rectangular survey". The Rectangular Survey System is the basis for the PLSS and is used to survey all public lands in the United States. Each township is further divided into 36 sections of one square mile each, or 640 acres, by horizontal and vertical section lines. Putting the above description into words is half of a quarter section. 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 area created by the intersection of a township line and a range line is a township. Constructive Notice in Real Estate Overview & Law | What is Constructive Notice? You can drill down by clicking on the land map, but you need to click the calc button to get the latitude and longitude. The roads in a lot of communities in the U.S. run along survey Base Lines as well just like in Arkansas, especially in Little Rock, the baseline road follows the baseline used by the Louisiana Purchase surveyors. You may be asked to identify sections in the Rectangular Survey System, so remember the order from specific to general. It is a rectangular approach to surveying the land breaking the district down to quadrangles of 24 miles. In the survey method, there has to be the creation of an initial point. Learn the basic methodology, and real-world adjustments. 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. 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. 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, 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}. 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. For instance, a quarter section always contains 160 acres, or a fourth of the total 640 acres in a section. Section 1 within any township is always located at the upper right or northeast corner of the township. 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. A simple approach to a complex concept, Jeff gives students practical guidance that can be used on any Government Rectangular Survey question. You may have math questions on your real estate licensing exam related to this concept. Were not done yet. There are 36 sections in a township, and each section contains one square mile, which is 640 acres. Each one square mile section is 640 acres. 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. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. The legal description can be further described by indicating which directional half or quadrants of the section, as well. Think about two more lines running up and down the page on top of the first two lines, also about an inch apart. Youre likely to see at least a few questions on the real estate license exams 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. Dont Miss: Can The Government Help Me With Rent. [/caption]\r\n\r\nEach section of 640 acres can be divided into halves and quarters called, get this, half sections and quarter sections. How many rows in a survey of sections of a township?
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