The Public Land Survey System (PLSS) is the surveying method developed and used in the United States to plat, or divide, real property for sale and settling.Also known as the Rectangular Survey System, it was created by the Land Ordinance of 1785.. )\r\nThe description probably would include the state and county in which the property is located and use abbreviations. The Rectangular Survey System, also known as the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) or the Government Survey System, is a way of measuring and establishing boundary lines for large areas of. The line intersections have established a large grid that controls the subdivision of grids to smaller ones. Rectangular Government Survey System Map Specific directional references are needed in the actual description to locate a particular piece of property, but for finding out how large a particular piece of property is, only the fractions matter.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_274747\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"556\"] Sections can be divided in a variety of ways, including quarters and smaller sections. The Rectangular Survey System is a method of surveying designed to divide the real property into specified plots. The federal government developed the rectangular survey system, or government survey method, to simplify and standardize property descriptions as a replacement for the cumbersome and often inaccurate metes and bounds method. - Definition & Types, Rectangular Survey System: Definition & Uses, Measuring the Area of a Rectangle: Formula & Examples, Fair Housing & Consumer Protection Laws in Real Estate, Property Condition Disclosure Statements in Real Estate, Real Estate Closing & Settlement Procedures, Real Estate Taxes, Warranties & Insurance, Real Estate Ethics & Professional Responsibility, DSST Business Ethics and Society: Study Guide & Test Prep, CLEP Principles of Marketing: Study Guide & Test Prep, NES Business Education (309): Practice & Study Guide, How to Positively Influence Others in the Workplace, OSAT Marketing Education (CEOE) (041): Practice & Study Guide, Maintaining Records in a Florida Real Estate Office, Seamless Application in a Wireless Network: Definition & Requirements, Working Scholars Bringing Tuition-Free College to the Community. It uses the 37 principal meridian lines that run north to south across the U.S. and baselines that run east to west. Read Also: Government Grants For Commercial Real Estate. In addition to the principal meridians and baselines, the land is further divided by range lines, which run north and south. Join over 10,000 subscribers and pass your exam today! The numbering changes directions in the third tier from right to left. Records kept by the surveyors during the execution of the work varied over time. Remember, a township is 6 miles by 6 miles. One section is 1 mile or 640 square acres, so it still covers a large piece of land and must be divided again.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'realestatelicensewizard_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_4',690,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-realestatelicensewizard_com-large-leaderboard-2-0'); Sections are further broken down into half and quarter sections repeatedly until you identify the exact location of a property. Quadrangles have an area of 576 square miles, more or less, and are divided into 16 townships.\r\n \t

Townships: The divisions of a quadrangle, townships, are six miles square (six miles on each side) and are delineated by township lines. This system has also become known as the rectangular survey system and geodetic survey system.. (This description refers to a 10-acre parcel of land. Base lines Ian is a 3D printing and digital design entrepreneur with over five years of professional experience. RECTANGULAR GOVERNMENT SURVEY SYSTEM 1 Flashcards | Quizlet The guide meridians occur every 24 miles east and west of the principal meridian. 6 b/c each township is divided in 36 sections, each section is 1 sq mile; 36/6 = 6 in each row. The Rectangular Survey System can be thought of as a grid that covers the U.S. Following the passage of the Northwest Ordinance in 1787, the Surveyor General of the Northwest Territory platted lands in the Northwest Territory. Principal meridians, baselines, and where they intersect (cross each other) are used as the basis for formulating property descriptions in this system. Rectangular Survey System Uses & Examples - Study.com The legal description of the property's location usually begins with the state and the principal meridian number followed by the township information. Each one is distinguished by a different name and number and has an intersecting baseline. You may have math questions on your real estate licensing exam related to this concept. Then the numbering drops down to 13 and goes right to left again and so forth: Each section of 640 acres can be divided into halves and quarters called, get this, half sections and quarter sections. Where the two range lines and two township lines intersect, they form a township. The Metes and bounds system dates back centuries to the original 13 colonies, while the rectangular survey method was established in 1785 and used in all 36 states formed after that point. There may also be questions about how much land is in a specific plot or section. Since the earth is not flat like a checkerboard, there needed to be some adjustments made along the way to make sure everything worked out. It is sometimes referred to as the recorded plat survey system, or the recorded map survey system. Furthermore, how well individual surveying parties actually met the requirements or recommendations at the time, also varied. Although the lines start out the same distance apart, they get closer together as you get near one or the other end of the ball.\r\n\r\nCorrection lines and guide meridians were established to correct this problem in the government survey system. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Doing the math, its 1/2 1/4 640 = 80 acres.

\r\n\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_274746\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"556\"] A quarter section can be split into smaller parts. There are several advantages of the rectangular land survey system. For example, how many acres are there if you take the North East of the South 1/2 of section 3 in township 8 North and range 5 west? Also Check: Government To Forgive Student Loan Debt. However, the system calculations also have to be adjusted somewhat to account for the curvature of the earth, which required the addition of Guide Meridians and Standard Parallels. Types of Tenancy in Real Estate | Overview, Leases & Examples, Lien Theory State vs. As we mentioned earlier, two primary survey methods are used in the United States, the Metes and Bounds System, and the Rectangular Survey System. The range lines run north and south parallel to the principal meridians. These principal meridian lines are named or numbered to identify their location. The image does not specifically designate which meridian or state, but as they are all divided and labeled the same, this could represent any section of land along any meridian that would be identified in the legal description. Surveyors also establish an east-west line from which all measurements originate. A township in this system can be both a line and the square of land created by the township lines and range lines. These tools will help you assess your knowledge of concepts pertaining to the Rectangular Survey System. The rectangular survey system may just be a giant grid covering the United States, but understanding how it is used can seem a little complex, so stick with us while we cover the basic definitions. The legal description can be further described by indicating which directional half or quadrants of the section, as well. The lines are spaced 24 miles apart, creating squares that are around 576 square miles. Only about half of the states in the United States still use the Rectangular Survey System. The rectangular survey system was enacted by the Land Ordinance Act of 1785. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Then the numbering drops down to 13 and goes right to left again and so forth:

\r\n\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_274749\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"532\"] Townships are divided into 36 sections numbered consecutively. In other words, after section number 6, it drops down to 7 on the next tier then goes left to right to number 12. The township and range definition of a parcel of land, then, is its location in relation to the township and range lines. Then the numbering drops down to 13 and goes right to left again and so forth:

\r\n\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_274749\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"532\"] Townships are divided into 36 sections numbered consecutively. Guide meridians and standard parallels form quadrangles. We know that there are 640 acres in one section, and we are taking a 1/4 of a 1/2 section. True of False - When land is mapped on the rectangular survey system, you locate the parcel by reading the directions from left to right. A section of ground is one mile on all sides, which means it is a one-mile square. 1. There are 37 principal meridians in the national survey, which are referred to when. The area is further divided into six-mile segments using range lines that run parallel to the principal meridian and township lines that run parallel to the baselines. Those states are: An error occurred trying to load this video. Guide meridians run north to south, parallel with principal meridians. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. The grid is divided into smaller sections known as quadrangles, townships, sections, half-sections, and quarter-sections used to describe property boundaries in most of the United States. When identifying property locations, you will always reference which principal meridian it is located near. The lot and block survey system is a method used in the United States and Canada to locate and identify land, particularly for lots in densely populated metropolitan areas, suburban areas, and exurbs. Although the lines start out the same distance apart, they get closer together as you get near one or the other end of the ball.\r\n\r\nCorrection lines and guide meridians were established to correct this problem in the government survey system. A rectangular survey is read based on the state and meridian line and the property's location, directionally, to that line. The Lot and Block System has a map showing lot dimensions approved by the Board of County Commissioners. Get unlimited access to over 88,000 lessons. a rectangular system of land survey that divides a district into 24-square mile quadrangles from the meridian (north-south line) and the baseline (east-west line); the tracts are divided into 6-mile-square parts called townships, which are in turn divided into 36 tracts, each 1 mile square, called sections. [/caption]\r\n\r\nEach section of 640 acres can be divided into halves and quarters called, get this, half sections and quarter sections. So, you can refer to the south (S) 1/2 of the northwest (NW) 1/4 of a section in a township, for example. Because the rectangular or government survey system was instituted when the United States was a brand-new country, it was used to describe most of the land west of the original 13 . Concepts will include principal meridians, the PLSS, and how sections of a township are. These range lines form ranges.