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ABBREVIATED LAND DESCRIPTION PRINCIPLES

By: William C. Rohde, RLS 841

..Fully describe what is intended and duly intend what has been described.
..Avoid the use of abbreviations, excessive verbiage and redundant terms.
..Do not define monuments, corners or boundaries by "double descriptions".
..Describe courses by a consistent clockwise or counterclockwise route.
..Define the basis of reference for all described boundary directional calls.
..Incorporate consistent units of measurement throughout the description.
..Specifically describe artificial or natural monuments and/or landmarks.
..Always express land mensurations with warranted precision and/or accuracy.
..Construe descriptions as a whole and in part to effect true meaning and intent.
..Append or refer to a survey map exhibit to clarify lengthy/complex descriptions.
..Informative (N47°37’E 34.78’) and controlling (to a concrete monument) terms defined in the description must truly manifest the underlying intent.
..Apply the principle of parallelism when dividing lands by lineal cut-off or offset.
..Specifically define the line of separation when dividing land by area cut-off or offset.
..Divisional exceptions must be described to assure the intended protraction.
..Define land area by intended precision and the method used to calculate.
..Observe order of legal precedence when writing or interpreting land descriptions:

..Descriptions must be locatable, identify record title rights and/or interests and observe any unwritten rights and/or interests that may be further evidenced.
..Define title parcel, exceptions and related easements by separated description.
..Monument/landmark or adjoiner referral should express the intent of both parties.
..Define the radial bearing from beginning of a tangent or non-tangent curve to the radius point of related curve; and define radial bearing from the juncture of any non-radial line and a curve to the radius point of related curve.
..Always apply best available evidence when writing or interpreting descriptions.
..Descriptions must define geometric configuration to mathematical closure criteria.
..Terminate all descriptions with the words END OF DESCRIPTION as ending line.