Acre - Unit of area containing 43560 square feet,
or 10 square chains or 160 square poles. A square mile is
composed of 640 acres
Chain - Unit of length equal to 66 feet, or 4
poles. A mile equals 80 chains.
Hectare - Area measurement equal to 2.47 acres.
Pole - May also be called "rod". Equal
to 16.5 feet. An acre equals 160 square poles. When used
to measure area, it was equal to a square with each side
one pole in length.
Vara - Often found in Spanish land transactions
and is equal to approximately 33 inches.
Call - The feature, measurement, or landmark
noted in surveys, such as, for example, "three black
walnut trees on Smith's line" is a call.
Corner - the point of beginning, change, or end
of a survey line.
Meander - refers to the natural run of a land
feature, such as the turns of a river or stream. Often
stated as, "...with the meanders of the
creek...", etc.
POB - Point of Beginning - the starting point of
a survey.
Section - a one mile by one mile square,
containing 640 acres and used as the basic unit of the
township and range land measuring system
Township - consists of 36 sections, measuring 6
miles by 6 miles, and numbered beginning in the uppermost
NE section, then numbering west to 6, then along the west
boundary to the next section, then east, etc.Used in the
township and range measuring system.
Range - townships received ranges by measuring
east or west of a "Principal Meridan".
Range lines - Township boundary lines running
north to south.
Township lines - Township boundaries marked by
lines running east to west.
Base Line - Beginning point for the measurement
of north or south townships.
Principal Meridian - Beginning point for
measuring east or west ranges.
Dower - the wife's interest in the property of
her husband.
Escheat - Land ownership reverting to the
government or the estate due to lack of heirs.
Executor - the individual named in a will to
handle the settling of the estate of the deceased.
Fee Simple - Ownership of land which is
inheritable, i.e., to own "in fee simple".
Grant - The transfer of title to property by the
governing body to the first owner of that property. May
also be called a "Patent".
Grantee - The individual receiving the property
by grant or by sale.
Grantor - The individual or government
transferring the property by grant, or selling it.
Patent - Usually seen in crown grants and other
early transfers. Same definition as "Grant".
Quitclaim Deed - A deed in which the seller gives
up any claim to rights on the property in question, but
does not guarantee that the title to the property is
clear from any other claims.
Warrant - An order by a
government authorizing an action. In land transactions,
it most often refers to an order allowing a surveyor to
survey land for an individual in preparation for the
issuance of a grant.