Unit 4 Intro RE

3. Meridian: The main imaginary line running north and south used in the Rectangular Survey System to establish range lines.
4. Sketch: A visual drawing showing the location and dimensions of a property.
6. A horizontal plane from which heights and depths (elevations) are measured. In the US, the most common datum is based on mean sea level at New York Harbor.
7. and Block: A method of legal description that identifies a parcel by its number within a specific block of a recorded subdivision map.
9. Description: A written description of a specific parcel of land that is recognized by law and sufficient to locate the property on the ground with certainty.
11. Square: The basic unit of the Rectangular Survey System; a 6-mile by 6-mile square containing 36 square miles.
14. Survey System: Also known as the Government Survey System; it uses a grid of principal meridians and base lines to describe land in terms of townships and sections.
16. and Bounds: The oldest method of land description, which identifies a property by describing its boundaries using directions (bounds) and distances (metes).
19. Tier: A six-mile-wide strip of land running east and west, parallel to the base line.
20. Subdivision Plat: A map of a divided piece of land that has been approved by local authorities and filed in the public records.
21. A permanent reference mark (often a brass disc set in concrete) that is used to establish the exact elevation of a specific location.

1. A fixed physical object used to establish a boundary. These can be natural (a large tree or rock) or man-made (an iron pipe or concrete post).
2. (Place) of Beginning (POB): The starting point in a metes-and-bounds description. The description must follow the boundaries and eventually return to the POB to "close" the loop.
5. Survey: A survey that locates and maps both the property boundaries and any man-made structures (fences, buildings, driveways) on the land.
8. Line: The primary imaginary line running east and west used in the Rectangular (Government) Survey System to establish township tiers.
10. Sufficient: A legal description that provides enough information for a professional surveyor to locate the property's boundaries accurately.
12. The process of precisely measuring a parcel of land to determine its area and boundaries.
13. Lot: A designated airspace over a piece of land. These are used in the description of high-rise condominiums or when selling "air rights" for construction over existing structures.
15. Line: Imaginary lines running east and west, parallel to the base line and six miles apart.
17. A square-mile block of land (640 acres) within a township. There are 36 sections in a township.
18. A six-mile-wide strip of land running north and south, parallel to the principal meridian.