Acreage Calculation From Legal Description

General Mineral Rights Discussion
1

Hello,Is there an easy way to calculate the total number of acres based on the legal description of the property?

Thank you for any help

2

Depends on the legal description and or the state.

Post it and we’ll try.

3

State is ND. Is there general formula based on sections, etc?

Thank you!

4

Ok, hang on

5

The East half of the SW Quarter, lots 3 & 4 in section 7 of township 140 N range 105W of the fifth principal meridian in Golden Valley Country, ND.

Does that help??

Thanks!

6

I’m not that familiar with ND. If it is township and range based, it is 640 acres per section. (PLSS)

7

Ok, so if we have lots in a section and then only fractions of those lots, the total acreage could be relatively small. Am I thinking about that logically?

8

It will be about 160. A 1/4 is 160. The East half is 80. Lots 3 and 4 are the same as the west 1/2. But the lots are corrections to the survey because of the curvature of the earth.

You will need to look at county survey records to see what the lots are. On average I would guess between 155 and 165.

9

Thank you very much!!

10

This might help you understand where lots com into the picture

http://jay.law.ou.edu/faculty/Hampton/Mineral%20Title%20Examination/Spring%202012/Legal%20Land%20Descriptions%20in%20OK_Kletke.pdf

11

Thx!

12

For metes and bounds states, this is useful:

http://tractplotter.com/

Metes and bounds, for those who don't know, is a directional and distance calculation, often involving trees, stone piles, stakes, etc and going from one of those north (or south) a certain number of degrees (think trig), east (or west) a certain number of "poles". 160 square poles is 1 acre.

13

Correction lots can be various sizes, depends on how big the errors were. I don't think they went over 40 acres in any one lot though.

14

160 acres

15

Thank you!!!!

16

East 1/2 of SW1/4 is = to 80acres… After that I am out… I know nothing on lots…

17

Robert. Look at the link I posted. It has a section explaining lots.

18

Thanks Rick I will check it out…

19

In general, lots can be more or less than the standard quarter-quarrter of a section (40 acres). County maps usually show the calculated acreage of each governmental lot.

Keeping you on the straight and narrow.

Gary Hutchinson

r w kennedy said:

Correction lots can be various sizes, depends on how big the errors were. I don't think they went over 40 acres in any one lot though.

20

Thanks Gary.