A current project involves a tract in the northwest quarter of Section 2. The record description tells you to start at the northwest corner of the southwest quarter of said northwest quarter. So, where the heck is that supposed to be?!?!
A perfectly good answer to be expected is: 1320 feet north of the west quarter corner.
Another perfectly good answer to be expected is: at the proportional distance between the west quarter corner and northwest section corner based on the Government field notes.
Not this time, folks. It is roughly 71 feet further north than the first answer and roughly 64 feet further north than the second answer.
The answer resides with the ownership history and the actions of those owners. Many years ago one person owned all of the northwest quarter. He had two sons. He split the land equally between the two by finding the midpoint of the east line and the midpoint of the west line and constructing a fence between those points. The deeds read: The north half of the northwest quarter of Section 2 and: The south half of the northwest quarter of Section 2. All transactions since then have referred to any smaller tract being in one of those halves. In fact, one tract is described as beginning at that mysterious point and then following a metes and bounds description going north and east and south and west to beginning. The tract immediately to the north of that one commences at the northwest corner of the section and heads south so many feet to the point of beginning of a metes and bounds description that mates up perfectly with the tract to the south of it. Peaceful coexistence reigns. Well, it does until some dumbbutt button pusher attempts to "correct" history. Fortunately, in this case, it appears that no other licensed surveyor has ever been involved in this neighborhood, so everyone is still happy.
It took a while, but I finally got the client to grasp the idea that the PLSS did not have such a thing as the north half of the northwest quarter in a Section 2. There was a south half but no north half. And, what they called the south half is not consistent with what the single land owner did later when he split it between his sons. Then...........we set out to explain this to the 86 year-old owner of the tract I am surveying who has owned it for 56 years.
California has at least a couple of Published Appellate Cases involving fractional sections. Is half a real half or a government half? This can ignite disputes.