California Real Estate Broker ExaminationPropertyEasy
A buyer is reviewing a property description that includes terms like 'Township 3 North, Range 2 West, Section 16'. This type of legal description is characteristic of which system?
- ALot and Block
- BMetes and Bounds
- CRecorded Plat System
- DGovernment Survey System
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. Government Survey System
The Government Survey System (also known as the Rectangular Survey System) uses townships, ranges, and sections to describe land, particularly in many western and Midwestern states, including California for some areas.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Lot and block descriptions refer to a specific lot number within a block, as shown on a recorded subdivision plat.
- B. Metes and bounds describes property using monuments, courses, and distances.
- C. The Recorded Plat System is essentially the Lot and Block system, referring to a map of a subdivision.
Government Survey System
A method of land description developed by the United States government using a grid of townships and ranges to divide land into sections and smaller parcels.
- Also known as the Rectangular Survey System.
- Uses principal meridians and base lines as reference points.
- Divides land into townships (6x6 miles), then sections (1x1 mile).
Memory trick: Legal descriptions 'map out' exactly what you own.