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Pass California

Ownership and Land Use, 15% of the examination

Legal description

A description that identifies a parcel with enough certainty for a real property conveyance.

Common methods include metes and bounds, lot and block by recorded map, and the rectangular government survey system. A street address or assessor's parcel number is useful for reference but may not provide the complete legal description required by a deed.

See also

Metes and boundsA legal-description method using directions, distances, monuments, and a point of beginning.

Test the distinction

A relevant question from Ownership and Land Use, selected because its facts or explanation use this concept.

Ownership and Land Use ยท 15%Descriptions of Property

Which method of land description uses distances and compass bearings from a defined point of beginning?

Written to DRE's published topic list. Not a real examination question, since reproducing those is a misdemeanor under B&P Code section 123.

Primary sources

Use these authorities when a course summary, forum answer, or older flashcard conflicts with the current California rule.

Where this is tested

Property Ownership and Land Use Controls and RegulationsWhat can be owned, how it is held, what limits it, and who does the limiting. Water rights and environmental hazards carry more weight in California than almost anywhere else.15%Practice Ownership and Land Use30 questions on this area, every option explained.Practice

Other terms in this area