Modern Alternatives to Metes and Bounds for Land Descriptions

Common Metes and Bounds Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Metes and bounds descriptions describe land by listing boundary measurements (metes) and physical features or bearings (bounds). They’re precise when done right, but common mistakes can make them ambiguous, create disputes, or render documents legally problematic. Below are the most frequent errors and practical steps to prevent them.

1. Vague or non-specific landmarks

• Problem: Using impermanent or ambiguous markers (e.g., “large oak tree,” “old fence,” “stone”) that may move, be removed, or be interpreted differently.
• How to avoid:
  • Use permanent, easily located features (survey monuments, iron pins, concrete markers).
  • When natural features are used, include additional identifiers (GPS coordinates or distance from a known public monument).

2. Missing or inconsistent units and directions

• Problem: Leaving out units (feet, links, rods) or mixing units without conversion; inconsistent bearing formats (compass points vs. azimuths).
• How to avoid:
  • Always specify units and use a single unit system throughout.
  • Use standard bearing notation (e.g., N 37°15′30″ E) or azimuths, consistently.
  • Include a unit conversion note if necessary.

3. Failure to reference a clear point of beginning (POB)

• Problem: No explicit POB or an unclear starting point makes the description indeterminate.
• How to avoid:
  • Start every metes and bounds description with a precise POB tied to a public record monument or a recorded survey marker.
  • Repeat the POB at the end to close the description.

4. Unclosed descriptions (survey does not return to POB)

• Problem: Bearings and distances that don’t mathematically close indicate errors in measurements or transcription.
• How to avoid:
  • Perform a closure calculation (latitude and departure) to confirm the polygon closes within acceptable error.
  • If it doesn’t close, reconcile by remeasuring or adjusting courses per local surveying standards and note any reestablishment steps.

5. Ignoring prior recorded documents and monuments

• Problem: Overlooking existing deeds, plats, or monuments can create conflicts with earlier-recorded boundaries.
• How to avoid:
  • Research chain of title and recorded plats before drafting a new description.
  • Use ties to recorded monuments and call out prior documents by book/page or instrument number.

6. Transcription and typographical errors

• Problem: Mistyping a bearing, degree symbol, or distance can shift boundaries significantly.
• How to avoid:
  • Double-check all numbers and symbols.
  • Implement a verification step: have a second person proofread and compare against original survey notes.

7. Overreliance on compass bearings without magnetic declination adjustment

• Problem: Bearings recorded without accounting for local magnetic declination can become inaccurate over time.
• How to avoid:
  • Note whether bearings are magnetic or true; include the date and declination used.
  • Prefer true bearings (geodetic) when possible and specify the datum.

8. Not specifying the survey datum and coordinate system

• Problem: GPS coordinates or bearings without datum (NAD83, WGS84) can be ambiguous.
• How to avoid:
  • Always state the horizontal datum and epoch for any coordinates.
  • For large or high-precision projects, reference vertical datum for elevations.

9. Using objective calls that contradict monument evidence

• Problem: Language that prioritizes measurements over existing monuments can conflict with common law rules that favor monuments.
• How to avoid:
  • Follow local legal hierarchy: many jurisdictions treat monuments as controlling over course and distance.
  • When conflicts occur, document the rationale for giving precedence to monuments and record any corrective survey.

10. Failing to show course intersections and curve data

• Problem: Omitting curve radius, chord, arc length, or tangent bearings makes curved boundary segments indeterminate.
• How to avoid:
  • Provide full curve parameters: radius, arc length, chord bearing and distance, and tangent if applicable.
  • Use standard curve notation and verify with the surveyor.

Practical checklist before recording a metes and bounds description

1. Confirm POB tied to a recorded monument.
2. Specify units, datum, and bearing type (true or magnetic).
3. Provide complete curve data for arcs.
4. Include GPS coordinates for key markers when possible.
5. Run closure calculations and document accuracy.
6. Reference prior recorded instruments and monuments.
7. Have a second reviewer proofread all numeric entries.
8. Record over a stamped survey by a licensed surveyor and include their seal.

When to hire a professional

• Hire a licensed land surveyor if you need a new survey, when documents conflict, before subdivision, or when accuracy matters (fences, construction, litigation). A surveyor will reestablish monuments, perform precise measurements, and prepare plats suitable for recording.

Quick example of a clear POB clause

• “Beginning at an iron pin set at the northwest corner of Lot 12, recorded in Plat Book 5, Page 41, in the County Recorder’s Office; thence …”
  Include coordinate ties or monument references immediately after the POB.

Use these practices to reduce ambiguity, protect title, and prevent boundary disputes when working with metes and bounds descriptions.