A method of describing real property boundaries using compass directions, distances, and natural or artificial landmarks to create a complete circuit around the property. This system provides a detailed written description that can be used to locate and identify the exact boundaries of a parcel.
From 'metes' (Old English 'gemæte,' meaning measure or boundary) and 'bounds' (Old French 'bodne,' meaning limit). This surveying method originated in medieval England and was brought to America, where it became essential for describing irregularly shaped properties.
These descriptions read like treasure maps because they literally are! Colonial surveyors used landmarks like 'the old oak tree' or 'pile of stones,' creating legal descriptions that sent modern surveyors hunting for 200-year-old rocks and long-dead trees. Some property disputes today still hinge on finding a boundary marker described as 'near the Indian trail.'
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