Ideally, every tract of land has a description on paper and a physical survey on the ground. When boundary disputes arise, all parties concerned must quickly learn the vocabulary and processes involved with real estate. Written for anyone dealing in real estate transactions, Subdividing the Land: Metes and Bounds and Rectangular Survey Systems provides this background. It defines key legal terms, examines key concepts of Metes and Bounds, the structure of the U.S. Land Survey System and offers many illustrations and tables that clearly explain the concepts.


Each state has its own property laws, but the book's material is generic enough to be applicable across the entire United States and even Canada. Taking into account that local laws may be influenced by many factors, the book also covers the roots of English property laws and the effects of French, Spanish, and Mexican legacies. The author discusses topics such as water law, mining claims, and the Metes and Bounds and Torrens system of property registry. He provides a section of basic legal concepts applicable to land transactions and a glossary of special or semi-technical terms.


Unlike most other topics related to surveying, there is no math associated with the topics given; yet the subjects can be complex and tricky. Subdividing the Land is a resource of many interrelated topics, and thus presents a knowledge base for land surveyors and the background for handling many types of land transactions conducted by real estate agents, engineers, architects, and lawyers.