1. Land Ownership --US --Texas
11/15/ UT-Dallas: Jack L. Lyle, RPLS
POEC 6381 Intro to GIS

2. Land Ownership and the Cadastre
the cadastre: an official register of the boundaries (location), quantity, value and ownership of land
often legally based on written descriptions, not maps
descriptions may be inconsistent with maps and/or with “accepted practice/common knowledge” (e.g. a fence line)
legal description, map, value information often held by different organizational units
for most of US, foundation is the Public Land Survey System (PLSS):
established by Ordinance of Continental Congress in 1785
amended multiple times since therefore rules/procedures/outcome may differ based on time area originally surveyed
currently administered by US Bureau of Land Management
does NOT apply in: original 13 colonies, Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, Hawaii, Texas; (Ohio also has many variations)
11/15/ UT-Dallas: Jack L. Lyle, RPLS
POEC 6381 Intro to GIS

3. Descriptions of Land Ownership
Sectional descriptions:
N1/2 (of the) SW1/4 (of the) SW1/4 (of) Section 11 (within township) T30S, Range68W (from the) 6th. P.M. (principal meridian), containing approx acres
metes and bounds (possibly with origin tied to a Section corner)
from a point 12,288ft south and 5, feet west of (...the NE corner of Section 11) running west 53.4ft; thence S. 9°- 19” E feet; thence...thence to the beginning, containing 1, square feet
Plat descriptions (with possible reference to a map):
being Lot 9 in Block G of Highland Addition No. 3 in the City of Richardson,Texas (according to map thereof recorded in Vol. 23, Page 157 of the Map records of Dallas County)
natural objects and adjoiners descriptions:
beginning at a stone in Green Hill Lane... !!!
Section 11: 640 acres
160 acres 40
acres
11/15/ UT-Dallas: Jack L. Lyle, RPLS
POEC 6381 Intro to GIS

4. US Public Land Survey System
Section 11, Twn 30 S, Rng 68 West, of the 6th Principal Meridian
24 by 24 mile quadrangles set from a principal meridian (e.g 6th P.M. is in Kansas) and a base line (Kansas/Nebraska line for the 6th)
north side <24mi ‘cos of convergence
quadrangles used for surveying but not identification
each quadrangle divided into 16 townships, each 6 by 6 miles (except for north side)
townships numbered north and south from base line (e.g. T30S)
ranges numbered east and west from meridian (e.g. R68W)
each township divided into 36 sections, each 1 by 1 mile (except for the last section in each row on the west (if west of the meridian) or the east (if east of the meridian)
sections numbered by continuously walking the rows, starting in the northeast corner
each section has 640 acres and may be further divided into:
four quadrants, or quarter sections, having 160 acres each
16 quarter-quarter sections, having 40 acres each.
In rural areas, a survey monument should exist at each section corner (approx 2.8 million), and in some cases at quarter section corners also
(Its a raster system!!)
11/15/ UT-Dallas: Jack L. Lyle, RPLS
POEC 6381 Intro to GIS

5. Definitions Associated with PLSS
Initial point: the intersection of the principal meridian and base line of the survey
principal meridian: a line running N/S thru the initial point along a true meridian of longitude
base line: a line running E/W thru the initial point along a true parallel of latitude
guide meridians: lines extending N/S from base line, usually at intervals of 24 miles east and west of principal meridian
standard parallels: (correction lines) lines extending E/W from PM, usually at intervals of 24 miles north and south of base line
11/15/ UT-Dallas: Jack L. Lyle, RPLS
POEC 6381 Intro to GIS

6. GIS and the Cadastre
Most Cadastral recording systems are non-coordinate based, whereas GIS is coordinate-based (lat/long or XY)
generates technical challenge to incorporate into GIS
special software solutions required e.g. Arc/INFO COGO (coordinate geometry) for metes and bounds
although software could reproduce the PLSS mathematically, this would not suffice legally since the legally correct corner for a section is its surveyed monument, even if the monument is in the “wrong” place or even missing--and it is often both!
Often, GIS is the first time properties have been simultaneously mapped and many anomalies are revealed:
overlapping property boundaries
property under water, etc.
11/15/ UT-Dallas: Jack L. Lyle, RPLS
POEC 6381 Intro to GIS

7. Principal P.M. (e.g 6th) Meridians Wyoming Base Nebraska Colorado
1st Standard Parallel North
Wyoming
<24
Base 24
Nebraska 24 24
Colorado
2nd Guide Meridian East
6th Principal Meridian
1st Standard Parallel South 24
Base line for 6th P.M.
<24 24 24
Kansas 24 24
2nd Standard Parallel South
New Mexico P.M
Quadrangles (24x24 miles)
Indian P.M.
Townships
(6x6mi)
Note: convergence is grossly exaggerated;
meridians are straight and true north;
parallels are curved on the ground
R4W
R2W
R1W
R1E
R2E
R3E
R4E
R5E
R3W
Twp4N
Sections
(1x1 mile)
Twp3N
Twp2N
Twp1N
Twp1S
Twp2S
Twp3S
range line
Twp4S
Twp5S
Twp6S
T6S, R2W
of the 6th PM
township line
11/15/ UT-Dallas: Jack L. Lyle, RPLS
POEC 6381 Intro to GIS

8. Land Ownership in Texas
Jack Lyle, RPLS
University of Texas at Dallas
11/15/ UT-Dallas: Jack L. Lyle, RPLS
POEC 6381 Intro to GIS

9. The PLSS Does NOT Apply in Texas
The Texas land system is NOT based on the United States’ PLSS but rather on a sequential grant system which evolved during Texas’ “Six Flags” history.
Texas was originally a Spanish possession, then a Mexican territory, then an independent republic, a US State, a Confederate State, and, finally, a US State again.
11/15/ UT-Dallas: Jack L. Lyle, RPLS
POEC 6381 Intro to GIS

10. Spanish and Mexican Land Grants
Prior to 1821, Texas was a province of Spain. One of the famous Spanish land grants was to Moses Austin in 1821 to settle 300 American families in Texas.
Mexico overthrew the Spanish government in 1821 and continued the policy of making “empresario” grants to Americans and others (Irish, Germans, etc.). Lands were granted by “metes and bounds”.
11/15/ UT-Dallas: Jack L. Lyle, RPLS
POEC 6381 Intro to GIS

11. Metes and Bounds Conveyances
Lands were not located in relation to an overall framework like the section/township system, but rather were individual, sequential conveyances described by metes and bounds.
Metes – Calls for course and distance between boundary corners (South 45° West 1900 varas). Descriptive but not necessarily locative.
Bounds – Calls for natural, artificial, and legal monuments that mark the boundaries of the land. These are the calls that actually “locate” the land being described.
[The vara was set by statute in 1919 to be inches or
feet. It is still the standard unit of measurement in Texas. Prior to
1919, there were varying ideas about the length of the vara.]
11/15/ UT-Dallas: Jack L. Lyle, RPLS
POEC 6381 Intro to GIS

12. Sequential Conveyances
Unlike the PLSS where all the sections in a township are legally created simultaneously, sequential conveyances are created over a period of time, and “senior” rights develop.
Since each conveyance is created independently, there is a possibility of vacancy (gap) and overlap between and among grants
11/15/ UT-Dallas: Jack L. Lyle, RPLS
POEC 6381 Intro to GIS

13. The Republic of Texas
The newly formed Republic in 1836 recognized all valid grants made by the Spanish and Mexican governments.
The Constitution of 1836 also provided that “all persons except Africans and Indians living in Texas on Declaration of Independence are entitled to a headright Grant… heads of families one league and one labor; single men seventeen years or older, one third of a league.
League varas square (about 4430 acres)
Labor – 1000 varas square (about 177 acres)
(A vara is feet. There are 640 acres in a square mile.)
11/15/ UT-Dallas: Jack L. Lyle, RPLS
POEC 6381 Intro to GIS

14. Subsequent Grants by the Republic
Headrights and Bounties – Grants made to newcomers to encourage settlement.
Donations to Veterans- Grants to veterans of San Jacinto and to the families of men killed at the Alamo
Land Sold to Pay Public Debt – Land “script” was sold in the US for 50 cents per acre by act of 1836.
Grants for Education – 50 leagues (221,400 acres) were set aside to found two universities
11/15/ UT-Dallas: Jack L. Lyle, RPLS
POEC 6381 Intro to GIS

15. Statehood
Since Texas as an independent country had accumulated an approximately $8 million national debt, the US Senate was unwilling to admit it as a state, but a compromise was reached:
Texas would be responsible for its own public debt, but would retain title to its own public lands as an asset to liquidate that debt.
So, any land In Texas owned by the US Government was acquired by purchase or donation. The sovereign in Texas is Texas.
11/15/ UT-Dallas: Jack L. Lyle, RPLS
POEC 6381 Intro to GIS

16. State Grants Grants for Internal Improvements
Grants to pay Public debts
Grants to Railroads
Grants for Education
Grants for County Schools
Legislation making all public land part of the permanent School Fund
11/15/ UT-Dallas: Jack L. Lyle, RPLS
POEC 6381 Intro to GIS

17. Texas Land System
A series of sequential, metes and bounds conveyances of land from the sovereign to other ownership.
All descriptions of grant conveyances are recorded with the General Land Office in Austin
Each original grant is assigned an “abstract” number to track subsequent conveyances within the original grant.
Subsequent conveyances within abstracts are recorded at the appropriate county courthouse.
11/15/ UT-Dallas: Jack L. Lyle, RPLS
POEC 6381 Intro to GIS

18. A Patchwork Quilt
The result is a “patchwork quilt” of sequential conveyances prone to gaps and overlaps whose construction is predicated on correct application of statute and case law instead of purely geometrical constructions.
Registered Professional Land Surveyors in Texas are expert at making measurements and interpreting written descriptions to establish land boundaries.
11/15/ UT-Dallas: Jack L. Lyle, RPLS
POEC 6381 Intro to GIS

19. Collin County Abstracts Example
11/15/ UT-Dallas: Jack L. Lyle, RPLS
POEC 6381 Intro to GIS