![]() But before 1893, a landowner in California could divide their plot however they pleased using metes and bounds without recording a subdivision map. Today, these metes and bounds descriptions are more robust and accompanied by maps. Metes and bounds also allow you to flexibly describe irregular property shapes, but the boundaries are far less precise than the typical rectangular systems more commonly used today.Įven in the relatively new land of California, however, this ancient system is still used today for irregularly shaped plots of land. Landmarks decay over time, and particularly in California, one earthquake could seriously compromise the description in a deed. If God were to get into a boundary dispute over land developers encroaching on His land today, a surveyor would have a very hard time establishing any real bounds. Some of the problems with this system are immediately evident: although “God’s 10 Acres” still stands at the top of the hill surrounded by modern suburbs, none of the original landmarks remain. Here the deed records the metes in terms of the number of “rods” between each landmark. ![]() The rock records that “I William G Hall in consideration of 125 dol paid by the hand of Solomon Parsons do heareby give grant sell and convay unto God through the laws of Jesus Christ said tract of land containing ten acres more or less bounded as follows” The metes and bounds description begins from “a stake and stones” by the land of another gentleman “E Daniels” down to a “corner of the fence” to “a chestnut tree” and “a heap of stone,” and then back to the stake and stones. Essentially acting as a trustee for God’s estate, he had the owner William Hall grant the land to God for $125. The “metes” are specific measurements along a straight line, while the “bounds” are bounding landmarks like rivers, walls, or roadways.įor instance, Atlas Obscura writes of a rather unique deed etched into a rock in Worcester, Massachusetts: in 1840, Solomon Parsons Junior bought a parcel of land at the top of a hill-for God. In the context of “beating the bounds,” however, it is a reasonable system for a small community: from a starting point, the boundaries of land are described as a series of instructions that allow you to walk from one landmark (natural or artificial) to another, tracing the outline of the property until you get back to the beginning. ![]() In many ways, metes and bounds is an inefficient and confusing way to define a plot of land. However, a California chain of title may use deeds that inherit language about metes and bounds originating over a century ago. Today, far fewer deeds will define property boundaries using the metes and bounds system-much of the land has been subdivided into simpler rectangular lots and blocks. In a sense, that’s true-the roots of how we define property bounds in the United States stretch far back into history, before colonial times, to ancient English common law. Suddenly real estate law can start to feel like some inscrutable, arcane practice. It is often only when you go to sell a property that you realize there are irregularities in your deed and the boundaries of your land aren’t as simple as you thought they were. We are all familiar with the concept of boundaries, but if you find yourself involved in a boundary dispute, comparing deeds and getting a survey of the real bounds, you may find your land defamiliarized. Recently in our series on “Real Estate Magic,” we wrote on the ancient ritual of “beating the bounds,” or walking the boundary lines of parishes to etch them in living memory.
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