FUNDAMENTAL SURVEYING Land Boundaries and Property Law 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In the US Public Land Survey System (PLSS), what is the standard size of a township?
- 6 miles × 6 miles (Correct answer)
- 1 mile × 1 mile
- 36 miles × 36 miles
- 5 miles × 5 miles
Correct answer: 6 miles × 6 miles
A standard PLSS township is 6 miles square, containing 36 sections of 1 mile square each.
Question 2: In the PLSS, sections are numbered starting from which corner of the township?
- Southwest corner
- Northeast corner (Correct answer)
- Northwest corner
- Southeast corner
Correct answer: Northeast corner
PLSS sections are numbered 1–36 starting in the northeast corner and proceeding in a boustrophedon (back-and-forth) pattern.
Question 3: Which type of boundary description is most commonly used to describe irregular land parcels in the US?
- Lot and Block (recorded plat)
- Metes and bounds (Correct answer)
- PLSS legal description
- Rectangular survey description
Correct answer: Metes and bounds
Metes and bounds descriptions use bearings, distances, and natural or artificial monuments to describe irregular parcel boundaries.
Question 4: In order of priority, which type of monument takes precedence in resolving boundary conflicts?
- Distances over bearings
- Natural monuments over artificial monuments over record distances (Correct answer)
- Bearings over distances
- Record bearings over all other evidence
Correct answer: Natural monuments over artificial monuments over record distances
The general hierarchy is: original monuments (natural, then artificial) > record bearings/distances > calculated positions.
Question 5: What is a 'senior rights' doctrine in land boundary law?
- Older property owners have priority
- The earlier (senior) deed takes priority over a later (junior) deed for the same land (Correct answer)
- The government always has senior rights
- Mineral rights are always senior to surface rights
Correct answer: The earlier (senior) deed takes priority over a later (junior) deed for the same land
Senior rights doctrine means the earlier conveyance has legal priority; a grantor cannot convey more land than they own, so later deeds (junior) yield to earlier ones (senior).
Question 6: What is the legal doctrine of 'acquiescence' in boundary law?
- A neighbor waives the right to sue
- Long-term mutual recognition and acceptance of a boundary line by adjoining owners can establish it legally (Correct answer)
- The surveyor's interpretation of ambiguous deeds
- A court order fixing a boundary
Correct answer: Long-term mutual recognition and acceptance of a boundary line by adjoining owners can establish it legally
Acquiescence holds that if adjoining landowners have mutually recognized and accepted a boundary line for a sufficient period, that line may be legally binding.
FUNDAMENTAL SURVEYING Land Boundaries and Property Law 1
In the US Public Land Survey System (PLSS), what is the standard size of a township?