5.4 Metes and Bounds Descriptions and Monuments

Reading Metes and Bounds Like a Retracement Surveyor

A metes-and-bounds description defines land by courses and calls around a parcel. The metes are measurements such as bearings and distances. The bounds are boundaries or objects, such as a river, road, stone, iron pipe, or adjoining owner. FS questions may ask you to identify a bad description, choose the controlling call, compute closure, or decide what field evidence should be recovered before setting a corner.

A complete description normally starts at a point of beginning, then follows each course around the parcel until it returns to the beginning. The description may call for monuments, adjoiners, record lines, curves, or natural features. It may include area, but area is usually one of the weaker calls when stronger boundary evidence exists. A parcel described as containing 10 acres more or less is not automatically expanded or reduced just to match exactly 10 acres.

The classic priority of calls is often summarized as natural monuments, artificial monuments, adjoining boundaries, courses, distances, and area. Treat that as a guide, not a mechanical formula. A found pipe controls only if it is accepted as the called-for original or a reliable perpetuation of it. A river call may create water-law issues if the bank has moved. A distance may control when the monument is missing and other evidence is weak.

Closure is a computational check, not a title rule by itself. If the bearings and distances do not mathematically close, the surveyor investigates whether a transcription error, omitted curve, wrong bearing quadrant, or field condition explains the problem. On the FS exam, a description with a large misclosure may indicate a drafting error or insufficient data. The correct response is usually to identify the defect and seek more evidence, not force a parcel to close without explanation.

Retracement means following the footsteps of the original surveyor as closely as evidence allows. That requires record research and field search. A modern measurement that differs from an old record distance does not automatically defeat an original monument. Conversely, a recently set marker with no record support should not override the deed. Questions often test this balance by giving both precise measurements and older physical evidence.

Ambiguities can be patent or latent. A patent ambiguity appears on the face of the document, such as a missing course. A latent ambiguity appears when applying the description on the ground, such as two possible stones matching a call. Surveyors document the ambiguity and explain their resolution if within their professional role. Legal construction may be needed when intent cannot be determined from survey evidence.

For FS preparation, practice marking each call in a description. Circle the point of beginning, underline monuments, label adjoiners, list courses, and compute whether the description closes. Then ask which evidence best reflects the original conveyance. The best answer is rarely just the most mathematically neat answer. Boundary law rewards evidence of intent, original location, and clear documentation.