LEGAL DESCRIPTION

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LEGAL DESCRIPTION

• THE LEGAL DESCRIPTION IDENTIFIES PROPERTY IN SUCH
  TERMS THAT IT CANNOT BE CONFUSED WITH ANY OTHER
  PROPERTY.
• A LEGAL DESCRIPTION IS ALWAYS INCLUDED IN AN
  APPRAISAL REPORT.

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• THREE PRINCIPLE METHODS ARE USED FOR DESCRIBING
  REAL PROPERTY IN THE U.S.
• THE METES AND BOUNDS SYSTEM
• THE RECTANGULAR SURVEY SYSTEM
• THE SUBDIVISION LOT AND BLOCK SYSTEM

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• THE FIRST TWO SYSTEMS ARE OF CONCERN TO RURAL
  PROPERTY IN AGRICULTURAL USE.
• THE THIRD SYSTEM IS PERTINENT TO THE APPRAISAL OF
  PROPERTIES THAT ARE DEVELOPED FOR RESIDENTIAL
  USE.

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METES AND BOUNDS SYSTEM

• A SURVEY SYSTEM WHICH MEASURES AND IDENTIFIES
  LAND BY DESCRIBING PROPERTY BOUNDARIES.
• THIS SYSTEM WAS USED FOR LAND TRANSFERS IN THE
  ORIGINAL COLONIES AND SOME PARTS OF TEXAS.

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• A METES AND BOUNDS DESCRIPTION DESCRIBES THE
  BOUNDARY OF THE PROPERTY IN A CLOCKWISE OR
  COUNTERCLOCKWISE DIRECTION FORM THE POINT OF
  BEGINNING.

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• THE POINT OF BEGINNING IS THE SURVEY REFERENCE
  POINT WHICH IS TIED INTO ADJOINING SURVEYS.
• METES REFER TO DISTANCES.
• BOUNDS REFER TO THE BEARING FROM THE TRUE NORTH
  AND SOUTH LINE.

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RECTANGULAR SURVEY SYSTEM

• THE RECTANGULAR SYSTEM WAS INTRODUCED IN 1784.
• THE RECTANGULAR SYSTEM IS BASED ON SETS OF
  INTERSECTING LINES

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• PRINCIPLE MERIDIANS , WHICH RUN NORTH AND SOUTH
• BASE LINES, WHICH RUN EAST AND WEST

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• A RANGE IS CREATED BY LINES WHICH RUN NORTH AND
  SOUTH PARALLEL TO THE PRINCIPLE MERIDIANS.
• EACH RANGE IS SIX MILES WIDE.
• EACH SIX-MILE-WIDE RANGE IS DESIGNATED BY
  CONSECUTIVE NUMBERS EAST OR WEST OF THE PRINCIPLE
  MERIDIAN.

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• A TOWNSHIP ARE SIX-MILE BY SIX-MILE BLOCKS OF
  LAND THAT ARE TIERED WITHIN THE STRIPS FORMED BY
  THE RANGE LINES.
• EACH TOWNSHIP IS SIX BY SIX MILES, WHICH IS 36
  SQUARE MILES.
• EACH TOWNSHIP IS DESIGNATED BY CONSECUTIVE
  NUMBERS NORTH OR SOUTH OF THE BASE LINE.

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• EACH SECTION IS ONE MILE SQUARE, THERE BEING 36
  SECTIONS IN A TOWNSHIP.
• A SECTION IS 640 ACRES.
• SECTIONS ARE DIVIDED INTO SMALLER AREAS SUCH AS
  HALVES AND QUARTERS.

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• A LEGAL DESCRIPTION BASED ON THE RECTANGULAR
  SYSTEM IDENTIFIES THE PRECISE LOCATION OF
  PROPERTY ON A GRID.
• FOR EXAMPLE
• NE1/4, SECTION 14, TOWNSHIP 4 NORTH, RANGE 4 EAST

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LOT AND BLOCK SYSTEM

• THE LOT AND BLOCK SYSTEM APPLIES IN MOST URBAN
  COMMUNITIES.
• A TRACT OF LAND IS SURVEYED AND PLATTED INTO
  RECTANGULAR BLOCKS AND LOTS.

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• EACH BLOCK AND LOT IS NUMBERED FOR
  IDENTIFICATION.
• COPIES OF THE PLAT ARE FILED IN THE COUNTY
  RECORDERS OFFICE FOR PERMANENT REFERENCE.

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LAND MEASUREMENTS

• ONE SECTION 640 ACRES
• ONE SQ. MILE
• HALF SECTION 320 ACRES
• QUARTER SECTION 160 ACRES
• ONE ACRE 43,560 SQ.FT.
• ONE MILE 5,280 FT.
• ONE LABOR 177 ACRES
• ONE VARA 33.33 INCHES
• ONE CHAIN 66 FT.
• ONE ACRE IS 10 SQ. CHAINS

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SOILS

• SOILS ARE THE BASIC COMPONENT OF VALUE IN
  AGRICULTURAL PROPERTIES.
• SOILS ARE THE MEDIUM OF PRODUCTIVE CAPABILITY.

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• THE USE AND MANAGEMENT OF THE SOIL DETERMINE THE
  PROFIT THAT CAN BE REALIZED FROM AGRICULTURAL
  PRODUCTION.
• EVERY APPRAISAL OF PROPERTY THAT IS USED FOR
  AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION SHOULD HAVE A FULL
  DESCRIPTION OF THE SOILS ON THE PROPERTY.

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PRODUCTIVITY RATINGS

• PRODUCTIVITY RATINGS ARE ESSENTIAL TO THE
  APPRAISAL OF AGRICULTURAL PROPERTIES.
• VARIOUS METHODS MAY BE USED TO ARRIVE AT SOME
  ESTIMATE OF RELATIVE PRODUCTIVITY OF PROPERTIES.

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• LAND CAPABILITY CLASS RATINGS AND YIELD INDEXES
  MAY BE USED TO ESTIMATE PRODUCTIVITY.

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LAND CAPABILITY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM

• THE LAND CAPABILITY CLASSIFICATION (LCC) SYSTEM
  WAS DEVELOPED BY THE SOIL CONSERVATION SERVICE
  (NOW THE NRCS).
• THIS CLASSIFICATION IS BASED ON THE LIMITATIONS
  OF THE SOIL RATHER THAN POTENTIAL YIELD.
• INDICATES THE GENERAL SUITABILITY OF SOILS FOR
  MOST KINDS OF CROPS.

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• Class I soils have few limitations that restrict
  use.
• Class II soils have moderate limitations that
  reduce the choice of plants or that require
  moderate conservation practices.
• Class III soils have severe limitations that
  reduce the choice of plants or that require,
  special conservation practices.
• Class IV soils have severe limitations that
  reduce the choice of plants or that require very
  careful management, or both.

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• Class V soils generally are not considered
  suitable for cultivation. These soils are likely
  to erode, but have other limitations, impractical
  to remove, that limit their use.
• Class VI, VII, and VIII are soils that have
  severe limitations that make them unsuitable for
  cultivation or commercial crop production.

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• CAPABILITY SUBCLASSES
• Subclass e - the main limitation is risk of
  erosion.
• Subclass w - the main limitation to the soil is
  excess water, poor drainage, wetness, high water
  table, or overflow.
• Subclass s - the soil is limited because it is
  shallow, droughty, or stony, or has some other
  soil problem in the rooting zone.
• Subclass c - the chief limitation is climate
  that is too cold or too dry.

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SOIL PRODUCTIVITY INDEXING

• A SOIL PRODUCTIVITY INDEX IS BASED ON THE
  RELATIVE PRODUCTIVE CAPACITIES OF DIFFERENT SOIL
  TYPES.
• IT IS A RELATIVE INDEX IN THAT IT IS CALCULATED
  USING A BASE SOIL TYPE.

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• SOIL PRODUCTIVITY INDEXES CALCULATED FOR
  DIFFERENT PROPERTIES MAY BE COMPARED TO DETERMINE
  THEIR RELATIVE PRODUCTIVITY.
• IT IS IMPORTANT TO USE THE SAME BASE SOIL TYPE TO
  CALCULATE THE INDEXES FOR THERE TO BE
  COMPARABILITY.