What is a metes and bounds description?

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Multiple Choice

What is a metes and bounds description?

Metes and bounds describes land by starting at a fixed point of beginning and then tracing the parcel with measured directions and distances from one boundary corner to the next, around the property, until it loops back to where it started. Each boundary line is defined by a bearing or angle (the metes) and a distance (the bounds), often referencing natural or man-made landmarks as monuments along the way. This approach yields an irregular boundary that follows the actual shape of the land, which is why it’s common in older deeds and for parcels that don’t fit a neat grid. That’s why this method fits best: it specifically uses point-to-point directions and distances to define the boundaries. Descriptions based on a recorded plat describe lots and blocks, not the metes-and-bounds method. Relying on street names isn’t a formal boundary description, and using coordinates with no directions isn’t metes and bounds, even though coordinates can appear in other types of descriptions.

Metes and bounds describes land by starting at a fixed point of beginning and then tracing the parcel with measured directions and distances from one boundary corner to the next, around the property, until it loops back to where it started. Each boundary line is defined by a bearing or angle (the metes) and a distance (the bounds), often referencing natural or man-made landmarks as monuments along the way. This approach yields an irregular boundary that follows the actual shape of the land, which is why it’s common in older deeds and for parcels that don’t fit a neat grid.

That’s why this method fits best: it specifically uses point-to-point directions and distances to define the boundaries. Descriptions based on a recorded plat describe lots and blocks, not the metes-and-bounds method. Relying on street names isn’t a formal boundary description, and using coordinates with no directions isn’t metes and bounds, even though coordinates can appear in other types of descriptions.

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