Definition of metes and bounds6/10/2023 ![]() But luckily the Mexican Vara is 32.09 inches. ![]() The real fun thing about this one, is that it varies by region anywhere from 32 – 43 inches. This one originated in Spain, Portugal, and South America. In Texas and California for instance you will run into the word ‘Vara’. But going back in time to old deeds you will find in some deeds legal descriptions using regional, and now archaic, units of measurement. So let’s break that down.ĭistance these days is measured in feet, in the US anyway. Without any further explanation, at its core, it really is that simple.īut the two words in the above description that make it tricky (or seem so) is distance and direction. Put a bunch of these together in a legal description and you have plural, metes and bounds. The distance and direction is the mete that makes up that bound. It starts at a marker of some sort, say a fencepost, goes a certain distance in a certain direction and ends at a certain marker. Therefore Metes and Bounds literally means Measurements and Boundaries.Ī simple example would be a property line – any property line. Yes, there are other definitions, but these are the definitions we are concerned with. Mete means measure and bound means boundary. As more and more residential work went in-house and overseas, the more it became apparent that doing commercial work and cell tower searches was a must, not an option.įirst off, let’s look at the name of this legal description system. So I studied up on it, practiced reading them, mapping and basically getting my mind around the subject as much as I could. And if you are going to do commercial and cell tower searches, you absolutely MUST understand metes and bounds. When I spread my wings and started my own title search business, I became concerned that I was missing out on opportunities by not tackling the metes and bounds searches. If it has metes and bounds, send it back. And of those only those types of searches that were platted. The only type of searches she did, and therefore all she could teach me, was residential searches. Regardless of the type of legal description, understanding their effect is important as they outline exactly what is included in the purchase and sale of a property.Years ago when I got into the title search business, way before I did cell tower searches and commercial title searches, I worked for a friend who showed me the ropes – but only a certain length. The beginning of a metes and bounds legal description would look something like “A portion of the Southwest Quarter of the Southeast Quarter of Section 35, Township 2 North, Range 4 West, B.M., Owyhee County, Idaho, more particularly described as follows: Commencing at the South Quarter corner of said Section 35…” These can be used to describe anything outside of a subdivision development type property but can tend to be quite lengthy. An example of this would look something like “Lot 5 of Block 1, Sunset Meadow Subdivision, according to the official plat thereof, recorded October 17, 2008.” Metes and Boundsįinally, metes and bounds legal descriptions are created by a licensed surveyor and used to describe a specific piece of ground using distances, angles, bearings, and directions. From there you can find your lot and block relating to your property. A platted subdivision contains all the blocks and lots found within the specific development. Lot and block legal descriptions are used when talking about a piece of property within a subdivision. The Rectangular SurveyĪ rectangular survey system or sectional ground legal description is going to look something like the following, “In Township 2 North, Range 5 West, Boise Meridian, Owyhee County, Idaho Section 4: Southeast Quarter of the Northeast Quarter.” With this type of legal description, the map is split into sections, those sections are then split into smaller quarters, and even quarter-quarters. Your legal description is found in your title commitment, on either Schedule A or as an attached Exhibit A, after Schedule B Part II. There are three different formats of legal descriptions: rectangular survey system – also known as sectional ground, lot and block, and metes and bounds. Before you sit down to read your legal description there are a few things you should know…. Legal descriptions can be confusing and difficult to read but are one of the most crucial parts of acquiring property.
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