I can understand ambiguity with terms in different industries but within the same industry…? A little odd to me and the frequency in which it happens, makes it even more of an oddity. One characteristic that I find intriguing from the varying land grid systems used throughout the United States is how many terms are shared between them and how they can have completely different meanings. Nowhere in the country are land grids more confusing, or interesting for that matter, than in West TX. When these new systems merged with the Abstract based system common to the rest of TX, the result is what I call the West TX Hybrid System. By 1882, over 32,000,000 acres had been issued through this agreement.Īs the Railroad companies began grabbing up and surveying land in West TX, they brought with them the land grid surveying systems that they were used to. In 1854, 8 years after Texas became a part of the Union, legislatures agreed that for every mile of railroad constructed, they would repay the Railroad Company with 16 sections equaling 10,240 acres. Even the roads are built accordingly (see below). That’s because people tend to sell based on the way they describe property. What you will see is that land is bought and sold in OK in square blocks whereas in TX, they take on a more random polygon characteristic. In the land classes I teach, one thing I do when going over land grids and the power they have is to ask my students to observe the scoring of the earth the next time they fly across state lines or hop on Google earth. This system is fast, clean and most important for me, we can program a computer to map these tracts and build relational software around. If more detail is needed, metes and bounds can be used from this point forward. Once the section is located, a quarter call (QQ) is usually given to describe what area of the section the subject property is found in (ex. Section 10 Township 5N Range 32W), one can quickly identify the location of a property inside a state within one square mile (640 acres). By naming the Township (N or S) value along with the Range (E or W), the intersecting cross area is then divided into sections (typically 36 but can be greater).īy stating a Section Township and Range (Ex. In the end, we are left with a grid system. Their subsequent lines gain in number value as they move further away in their respective directions. In this system, two lines dissect a state a baseline from east to west and a meridian north and south. Probably the most favored land grid system for its ease of use is the PLSS (Public Land Survey System), known by a couple of other names: STR (Section Township Range) & Jeffersonian (as in Thomas). With its complex directions and distances, it is very easy for a person creating the document to make a mistake when transcribing the metes and bounds legal description.įor this reason, Texas is the only state that allows for the use of a reference document in lieu of a traditional legal description. The number one reason a legal document is voided is an improper property description. One Requires manual mapping while the other, manual entry into clunky software program and pray there is no curve involved.įinally, I’d liked to bring up the use of reference documents which can often be considered either a pro or a con. The next step of plotting a metes and bounds description, is locating your point of beginning which are often outdated Landmarks/waypoints that are not easily found on a standard map.Įven after our point of beginning is found and we are ready to forge ahead with creating our polygon, we are left with two less than stellar options. We are now left with the task of locating abstracts by clumsily sifting through a county abstract map or having to turn to a computer for help – which are not always readily available in a courthouse. Much of the early land grid was based on water supplies, which doesn’t always make for straight lines.Īs I alluded to above, when the original surveys were created and abstract numbers assigned there was no standardized system in place with regards to size, shape or numerical location. While surrounding neighbors were being defined by a Jeffersonian system, Texas was under Spanish and later Mexican Rule. Texas’ first surveys date back to when it wasn’t part of the United States. So when it comes to getting a precise polygon, there are only few systems better than metes and bounds. You can slice and dice, zig and zag your property into any shape you desire. After my introduction, you may be surprised to hear that I have any pros to list with this system but I do.Īfter the task of finding your abstract out of the 1,000+ others positioned randomly somewhere in the county and then locating the 18” black jack in the middle of a field 2 varas N 44’ E from a 16” Hickory tree (in 1910), metes and bounds does have some strong attributes.
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