All rights reserved. However, in some areas of the country, a township refers to a legal municipality rather than a geographic area, which can lead to some confusion. Every fourth township line is called a correction line, and every fourth range line is called a guide meridian. 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. It uses imaginary lines to set land descriptions on thedistance: base lines run east-west and meridians run north-south. 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. The legal description of the property's location usually begins with the state and the principal meridian number followed by the township information. As the United States grew from its original 13 colonies, a system was needed to identify who owned what land. Townships are further divided into 36 sections of one square mile each. The numbering then moves from right to left across that first upper tier. 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? Government Rectangular Survey System (GRSS) And Torrens System Government Rectangular Survey System (GRSM) Land survey system primarily used throughout the US but not within the original 13 colonies which are based upon the Meters & Bounds Theory Based upon the longitude and latitude lines and then ultimately upon the meridian (vertical . School University of Minnesota, Duluth; Course Title MARKETING MISC; Uploaded By MajorTarsierMaster692. Baselines run parallel to the earths equator, from east to west. The government rectangular survey method is a legal description for land. 27 chapters | Water & Littoral Rights Concept & Purpose | What are Water Rights? In reality, because of this earth curvature issue, many sections and townships vary from their exact area measurements. This system, sometimes called the Public Land Survey System, was created in 1785 to plat or divide real property into squares and rectangles for sale and settling. The township and range definition of a parcel of land, then, is its location in relation to the township and range lines. Only about half of the state in the U.S. use the rectangular survey system. Guide meridians run true north, and the intersecting correction line is shorter than a township line. Land is designated as either a base line (East-West) or principal meridian line (North-South). Concepts will include principal meridians, the PLSS, and how sections of a township are. Try refreshing the page, or contact customer support. ","blurb":"","authors":[{"authorId":9566,"name":"John A. Yoegel","slug":"john-a-yoegel","description":"

John A. Yoegel, PhD, is a certified real estate instructor and former board member of the Real Estate Educators Association. You got it: Tic tac toe. In addition to the principal meridians and baselines, the land is further divided by range lines, which run north and south. We know that there are 640 acres in one section, and we are taking a 1/4 of a 1/2 section. Youre likely to see at least a few questions on the real estate license exams on calculating the area of part of a section, and youll also see questions about terminology and some of the measurements that the rectangular survey system uses. So, you can refer to the south (S) 1/2 of the northwest (NW) 1/4 of a section in a township, for example. Township lines, which run east and west, parallel to baselines, are horizontal parallel lines that form township tiers.\r\n\r\nThink about two lines running from left to right across this page about an inch apart. Quarter sections have an area of 160 acres.\r\n \t

  • Half sections: Half section is a description of any two abutting quarter sections within a section, usually accompanied by a directional notation indicating the half of the section in which the two quarter sections are located. | 16 It can be a quick and relatively straightforward way of dividing large areas of land into manageable, legally identifiable sections from the very large to the fairly small. A government check represents an area that measures 576 square miles.\r\n\r\nRemember that although these correction lines and guide meridians are the way the government deals with the issue of the earths curvature, it isnt the way the government survey system describes land. The first set of lines are called the principal meridians and run north and south. He teaches pre-licensing and continuing education courses for salespeople, brokers, and appraisers.

    ","authors":[{"authorId":9566,"name":"John A. Yoegel","slug":"john-a-yoegel","description":"

    John A. Yoegel, PhD, is a certified real estate instructor and former board member of the Real Estate Educators Association. Guide meridians and standard parallels form quadrangles. It is also known as the rectangular survey system and geodetic survey system. Real Estate License Wizard2009 MacKenzie WaySuite 100Cranberry Twp, PA 16066Phone: (412) 212-3240Email: info [at] realestatelicensewizard.com. Moreover, the astronomical observations will then determine the areas latitude and longitude. 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 land. Rectangular Government Survey System The rectangular government survey system -also known as the Public Land Survey Adding that to the description results in a more specific parcel of land: The NW 1/4 of the SE 1/4 of Section 18, Township 5 South, Range 4 West of the Fifth Principal Meridian, Missouri. Sections are numbered from the northeast (top right) corner, running first horizontally to the west and then down and back to the east in a serpentine pattern. The PLSS is actually a series of surveys that divide land into townships that are six miles. To learn more about these land descriptions, view our Real Estate Principles course, which provides information on ethics of practice, titles to and conveyance of real estate, deeds encumbrances and liens, distinctions between personal and real property, appraisal, finance and regulations, and more. Dont Miss: American Government A Brief Introduction. 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. TRID Guidelines & Compliance Checklist | What is TRID? Rectangular Survey System This is also called the section and township system or U.S. Government Section and Township Survey, established in the nineteenth century by the U.S. Surveyor General to survey public lands. The Rectangular Survey System, also known as the Government Survey System or Public Land Survey System, is a method of plotting land boundaries in the United States using a large grid made up of rectangles. The range lines run north and south parallel to the principal meridians. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. This system was part of the Land Ordinance enacted in 1785 by President Thomas Jefferson. For instance, a quarter section always contains 160 acres, or a fourth of the total 640 acres in a section. The land is then further divided into quadrangles. The area created by the intersection of a township line and a range line is a township. Definition of "Government rectangular survey". Marketable Title Overview & Importance | What is a Marketable Title? What Is the Rectangular Survey System Used For? Sections can be divided in several ways, but basically for purposes of the United States Geological Survey (USGS), they are divided in quarter sections.

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  • Quarter sections: The divisions of a section, quarter sections, are formed by dividing a section into fourths that are delineated by their direction from the center of the section (northwestNW, northeastNE, southeastSE, and southwestSW). These sections are referred to as fractional sections. The rectangular survey describes property location as fractions of sections, which are part of townships, and provide distance measurements from principal meridians, base lines and range lines. These divisions mean just that. The strips of land they form are known as township tiers. 276 lessons The smallest division in this system is usually 10-acre quarters. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. This system is also needed to divide all of the lands in the public domain which is possessed by the US federal government to benefit the American citizens. Where the two range lines and two township lines intersect, they form a township. Correction lines occur at every fourth township line or every 24 miles north and south of the baseline. Simply multiply 640 by or 0.25, which equals 160, then multiply 160 by 1/2 or 0.5, which equals 80. (The figure below shows a variety of divisions in a quarter section. Some data is missing in this version that is included in the old version. Using the land noted on the image, a parcel could be defined as the West half of the Southeast quarter of Section 14 of Township 2 South, Range 3 West. Dont Miss: Work From Home Government Jobs. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Rectangular Survey System - Divides land into rectangles - The system is based on two sets of lines - Principal Meridians and Base Lines Principal Meridians - Vertical lines, crossing base line. The guide meridians occur every 24 miles east and west of the principal meridian. There are 16 townships in each quadrangle. It isn't used by East Coast states except, Florida, and it also isn't used by Texas. For example, a Bound could be a road, tree, river, or large rock. How Do Metes and Bounds Differ From the Rectangular Survey System? Easement Appurtenant Features & Examples | What is an Easement in Real Estate? For example, you can say the east of section 3. That means the property is 320 acres and located on the east half of that section. Quadrangles have an area of 576 square miles, more or less, and are divided into 16 townships.
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  • Townships: The divisions of a quadrangle, townships, are six miles square (six miles on each side) and are delineated by township lines. Tenancy at Will Laws & Examples | What is an Estate at Will? Simply multiply 640 by or 0.25, which equals 160, then multiply 160 by 1/2 or 0.5, which equals 80. [/caption]\r\n\r\nEach section of 640 acres can be divided into halves and quarters called, get this, half sections and quarter sections. [/caption]\r\n

    Each half or quarter section can be further subdivided into halves and quarters. The boundary of each township is 6 miles long, so a township contains 36 square miles and is described as being 6 miles square. 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\" Townships are divided into 36 sections numbered consecutively.