RECTANGULAR SURVEY

1
RECTANGULAR SURVEY

• A system of describing the legal boundaries of
  property and property ownership.

2
Outline

• Brief history
• How the system works
• Writing a legal description
• Calculating area

3
History

• Ownership of property a fundamental right
• Public Domain v. Private Ownership
• Metes and Bounds
• Original Rectangular Survey 1785
• Modified Rectangular Survey 1785/86

4
How the System Works

• Point of Origin (Initial Point)
• Baseline and Principal Meridian
• Standard Parallels and Guide Meridians (24 miles
  X 24 miles)
• Townships (6 miles X 6 miles) Township and Range
  designations
• Sections (1 mile X 1 mile), 640 acres, uniform
  numbering

5
How the System Works

• Subdivision of the Section
• Fractional breakdown using only ½ or ¼ fractional
  components
• Begin with smallest component and work toward
  largest (Section number)
• Use of a comma (,) is read as and, when
  preceding section number

6
Calculating Area

• Work backward from the Section
• Assume Section to be 640 Acres