Florida Real Estate Sales Associate Examination Content OutlineReal Estate Property and OwnershipMedium
A buyer is reviewing a property survey that indicates a discrepancy in the boundary line description compared to the fence line. The survey uses metes and bounds. Which of the following elements is a primary characteristic of a metes and bounds legal description?
- AIt relies on government-established townships and ranges.
- BIt divides land into sections and quarter sections.
- CIt describes property by referencing a recorded plat map.
- DIt uses monuments, courses, and distances to define boundaries.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. It uses monuments, courses, and distances to define boundaries.
Metes and bounds descriptions define property boundaries by starting at a point of beginning and following a series of courses (directions) and distances, often referencing physical monuments, until returning to the point of beginning.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Townships and ranges are characteristic of the Rectangular Government Survey System.
- B. Sections and quarter sections are parts of the Rectangular Government Survey System.
- C. Plat maps are used in the Lot and Block system.
Metes and Bounds
A legal description that defines property boundaries by describing distances (metes) and directions (bounds) from a point of beginning.
- Uses monuments (physical markers) as reference points.
- Must close, meaning it returns to the point of beginning.
- Commonly used for irregular parcels and in older states.
Memory trick: Metes and Bounds: start and circle back!