Lot and BlockĪ third way of giving a legal description is called the lot and block description, which is used in cities with new subdivisions. Remember that every section of the ground in the rectangular survey system contains 640 acres, and every acre of ground contains 43,560 square feet. So, one-mile square and one square mile is the exact same thing. So, if we also take one-mile times one mile, that means a section of ground contains one square mile. To find the area of something we take the length times the width. A section of ground is one mile on all sides, which means it is a one-mile square. The rectangular survey system was developed in an effort to try and describe all of the land in our country. Thomas Jefferson developed a system drawing straight lines, vertical and horizontal, called principal meridians running north and south and principal baselines running east and west. This is what was set up years ago by Thomas Jefferson in our country, and it mostly covers the entire country. Rectangular or Government Survey SystemĪ second way of giving a legal description is called the rectangular or government survey system. The very last line of every metes and bounds description will say angle back to the point of beginning. One key thing to remember with the metes and bounds description is that the description must begin and end at what is called the point of beginning. It uses physical objects to describe the land. This is where the description would say, “Go to the well, then 300 feet west of the stake, then 200 feet to the tree”. These are typically older or used in rural areas. Number one is called a metes and bounds description, which gives a physical description of the property. An address is what our property is commonly called and is established by the post office, however, it is not a legal description. There are several legal ways of giving a property description.

Metes and bounds description must