Rectangular 40ac. (+/-) Gov't. Lots

use the fence, Luke.....:-)

There are no instructions for the PLSS to sub-divide any section past a quarter. That simply applies to original surveys done on public lands. Using rules for aliquot parts you can subdivide as many times as you like. A land owner can sub-divide their property anyway they wish and the description of that sub-division can be done with metes and bounds and does not need to be in aliquot parts, but can be done that way.

If you are talking about government lots, no there is no PLSS method, state law is used so the dividing line should be well described.

If you are talking about a 40 acre piece such as the SE 1/4 of SE 1/4, it divided the same way (midpoints), the smallest I've seen is 1/1024 corners.

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A recent conversation with (insert federal government agency's name here) personnel revealed an "opinion" that the "E/2 of Gov't. Lot 7" would be 10 ch. in width:

An implication was made that "You all (private surveyors) have been doing it wrong for years."

I've just been trying to find something in the manual that addresses this issue.

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would Mr. blm say the same thing if the s line of sec 6 were only 71 chains long? 😐

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Don't know. I thought the same thing. This particular issue has to do with 40 ac. Trust Allotments that just happen to be Gov't Lots also.

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That is interesting. Around here some of the closing sections on tribal lands weren't lotted on the GLO Plats....

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Let me look through my records. We did a job a few years ago in Washington for the Forest Service same type of description but in a northern tier lot. The line changed a few times before there was an official letter with directions issued. The other fact that needs to be known is the history of the deeding of the lot. It probably was patented with the Gov't lot description and then a private landowner split it. But, I believe I've seen later patents with Gov't lot portions that should not have been described as they were described.

I'll try to look through the files today. Email me off line, I'm curious as to who the agency officials were.

Evelyn
[email protected]

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Evelyn: roughly 35 years ago I ran across a portion of the North tier that had been broken down to "2.5" acre parcels by the BLM, complete with brass caps marked in the conventional format (1/256?). I do remember some head scratching, but not much more 🙂

I believe it was in northern Benton County, Oregon... perhaps it was a bit farther North.
There must have been instructions of some sort.
Perhaps a visit to a local BLM field office would reveal some info on that one.

If you find something please pass it on, a curious memory may come back.

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I may look for it. Sounds like a good idea for an article. I did double check the project I had and it was patented as the W 1/2 of the SW 1/4 of SW 1/4, but the SW 1/4 of SW 1/4 was actually originally platted as Govt' Lot 4, Sec 30. (West tier not North tier as I originally thought).

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If it were a government patent for the E/2 it would be 10 ch. If the parcel originated as a split of a parent government patent the meaning could be what the evidence supports. If there is no additional evidence I would go with the 10 ch. I would base that on the theory that the intent of the original survey is to create as many aliquot parts as the plat will bear. The manual speaks to this but I don't have it handy.

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Not sure about that Linebender, when the government lot was platted as a government lot, that act broke the aliquot parts method of further subdivision. Sometimes Government Lots were subdivided into smaller subdivisions within each Lot and then patented, the language of those patents control and needs to be researched The results of that research needs to be noted within the survey narrative explaining the whats and the whys.
jud

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And what if was the West 1/2?

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Jud
Perhaps. The fact that its a lot to start with indicates the govt was done subdividing into aliquot parts. However I believe any BLM surveyor would go with 10 ch. for the E/2 if surveying for the govt.

Lines of Division of Half-Quarter Sections, How Run. In every case of the division of quarter-section the line for the division thereof shall run north and south, and the corners and contents of half-quarter sections which may thereafter be sold shall be ascertained in the manner and on the principles directed and prescribed by the section preceding, and fractional sections containing one hundred and sixty acres or upwards shall in like manner, as nearly as practicable, be subdivided into half-quarter sections, under such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the Secretary of the Interior, and in every case of a division of a half-quarter section, the line for the division thereof shall run east and west, and the corners and contents of quarter-quarter sections, which may thereafter be sold, shall be ascertained, as nearly as may be, in the manner and on the principles directed and prescribed by the section preceding; and fractional sections containing fewer or more than one hundred and sixty acres shall in like manner, as nearly as may be practicable, be subdivided into quarter-quarter sections, under such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the Secretary of the Interior. (R.S. 2397; 43 U.S.C. 753).

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W Frl. Half Govt. Lot 7