Chapter 9 Legal Descriptions This chapter is about

Chapter 9 Legal Descriptions This chapter is about how land is divided up for ownership and how to describe those divisions. This subdivision was developed based on a plat map, and clearly shows how the land has been sectioned off for each home.

9 Legal Descriptions • Learning objectives – – Identify the three methods used to describe real estate Describe how a survey is prepared Explain how to read a rectangular survey description Distinguish the various units of land measurement © 2013 Kaplan, Inc. 2

9 Legal Descriptions • Definition of a legal description • Land units and measurement • Methods of describing real estate – Metes-and-bounds – Lot and block – Rectangular (or government) survey © 2013 Kaplan, Inc. 3

9 Legal Descriptions • Georgia Legal Description Concepts – Headrights area – Militia districts

9 Legal Descriptions Metes-and-bounds • Monuments • Point of beginning (POB) • Compass bearings

9 Legal Descriptions Georgia’s Metes and Bounds description must contain: • State and county • District and lot • Section or militia district • Point of beginning • Compass directions moving to a point of closure © 2013 Kaplan, Inc. 6

9 Legal Descriptions © 2013 Kaplan, Inc. 7

9 Legal Descriptions Lot-and-block or recorded plat map – Concepts • Plat map • Lot • Block – Property Identifiers • Lot and block numbers • Name of the subdivision (book and page) • State and county © 2013 Kaplan, Inc. 8

9 Legal Descriptions © 2013 Kaplan, Inc. 9

9 Legal Descriptions • Measuring elevations – Air lots – Datum – Benchmarks ©

9 Legal Descriptions • Methods of describing real estate – Rectangular (government) survey • Not used in Georgia, but used in Alabama and the States west of the Appalachian Mountains • Based on a comprehensive government survey • Divides state into square grids • Baselines (latitude lines) • Meridians (longitude lines) © 2013 Kaplan, Inc. 11