How do I decode a legal property description?
August 9, 2011 1:11 PM Subscribe
What do IMPSLT and SC stand for in a legal description of real estate?
The legal description of the land where my house is located (on property tax bills and closing documents) reads something like the following (personally identifiable data obviously changed):
IMPSLT 2 - 1.23 ACS
MAIN ST 12-345 SC 6
CRUSTY PINES
I'm trying to decode this to understand it a little bit more.
ACS is obviously "acres" since it's preceded by the size of the lot. The numbers after MAIN ST probably refer to the lot on a county tax map, though I'm not sure what SC means. Looking at the county tax map online, it seems they do not use these numbers there.
This is the second house I've owned. My first house was in another state, and the legal description of the property there was much easier to understand. It read something like this: "The lot is located on a proposed street to be called Main Street, starting from the southwest corner of the land owned by John Smith, then proceeding northeast along said Main Street for 158 feet, then north for 177 feet, ..." and so on. Basically, it described how to draw the plot plan.
I have a plot plan for my current house, but I have no idea how they can draw it from this cryptic legal description of IMPSLT and SC and so forth.
My Google skills are apparently too weak to come up with an answer to how to read and translate this stuff.
Do any of you have any ideas?
The legal description of the land where my house is located (on property tax bills and closing documents) reads something like the following (personally identifiable data obviously changed):
IMPSLT 2 - 1.23 ACS
MAIN ST 12-345 SC 6
CRUSTY PINES
I'm trying to decode this to understand it a little bit more.
ACS is obviously "acres" since it's preceded by the size of the lot. The numbers after MAIN ST probably refer to the lot on a county tax map, though I'm not sure what SC means. Looking at the county tax map online, it seems they do not use these numbers there.
This is the second house I've owned. My first house was in another state, and the legal description of the property there was much easier to understand. It read something like this: "The lot is located on a proposed street to be called Main Street, starting from the southwest corner of the land owned by John Smith, then proceeding northeast along said Main Street for 158 feet, then north for 177 feet, ..." and so on. Basically, it described how to draw the plot plan.
I have a plot plan for my current house, but I have no idea how they can draw it from this cryptic legal description of IMPSLT and SC and so forth.
My Google skills are apparently too weak to come up with an answer to how to read and translate this stuff.
Do any of you have any ideas?
Just FYI, the other legal description is called "metes and bounds."
posted by Admiral Haddock at 1:26 PM on August 9, 2011
posted by Admiral Haddock at 1:26 PM on August 9, 2011
This might also be helpful in decoding your specific property description.
posted by mattbucher at 1:32 PM on August 9, 2011
posted by mattbucher at 1:32 PM on August 9, 2011
Response by poster: Matt -- I have a plat. Several copies of the plat were given to me at closing (my wife and I recently bought the house). I'm just curious how one might get from the legal description to the plat.
If it helps, our house is in Maryland. The house described by the metes and bounds system was in Massachusetts.
posted by tckma at 1:37 PM on August 9, 2011
If it helps, our house is in Maryland. The house described by the metes and bounds system was in Massachusetts.
posted by tckma at 1:37 PM on August 9, 2011
Best answer: Most parts of the US, especially urban/suburban/exurban areas, don't do "metes and bounds" descriptions of property (e.g. "starting from corner X, then proceeding northeast for Y feet, ...") because it's cumbersome to have to measure everything in this way and a pain to trace everything back to the original definitions. Instead, places use a Lot and Block system, where the legal description of the property is pretty much just a reference to a map stored at city hall somewhere.
My rough guess based on some googling is that "IMPSLT" is actually "IMPS" and "LT." IMPS could be referring to improvements (buildings), and LT is probably short for lot. In other words, you could have improved lot #2 (1.23 acres) of block MAIN ST 12-345, section 6, as defined in the map book for Crusty Pines.
posted by zachlipton at 1:39 PM on August 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
My rough guess based on some googling is that "IMPSLT" is actually "IMPS" and "LT." IMPS could be referring to improvements (buildings), and LT is probably short for lot. In other words, you could have improved lot #2 (1.23 acres) of block MAIN ST 12-345, section 6, as defined in the map book for Crusty Pines.
posted by zachlipton at 1:39 PM on August 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
I'm just curious how one might get from the legal description to the plat.
You take the legal description to the property recorder or whoever keeps track of the block and lot maps in your area. They look up the corresponding map and you produce the drawing from the information contained therein, reconciling the old maps against the current reality.
posted by zachlipton at 1:45 PM on August 9, 2011
You take the legal description to the property recorder or whoever keeps track of the block and lot maps in your area. They look up the corresponding map and you produce the drawing from the information contained therein, reconciling the old maps against the current reality.
posted by zachlipton at 1:45 PM on August 9, 2011
This links to a Maryland Deed, on which Page 10 breaks it all out, at least for Anne Arundel county. Property description standards tend to be extremely local.
IMPSLT 61R means Lot 61R, just as several have guessed. This also suggests that you can do a do a search of the Maryland Department of Taxation to determine subdivision plat and other more useful information.
Also, it's troubling how easily I pulled up person information using only "IMPSLT 2" as a search term. I'm feeling a bit paranoid now.
posted by Measured Out my Life in Coffeespoons at 7:42 PM on August 9, 2011
IMPSLT 61R means Lot 61R, just as several have guessed. This also suggests that you can do a do a search of the Maryland Department of Taxation to determine subdivision plat and other more useful information.
Also, it's troubling how easily I pulled up person information using only "IMPSLT 2" as a search term. I'm feeling a bit paranoid now.
posted by Measured Out my Life in Coffeespoons at 7:42 PM on August 9, 2011
Response by poster: Page 10 is what you get by looking up the property with at the state department of taxation's website. I've also found something like Page 11 online, but what comes up in my case is a map showing only my lot and that of my next-door neighbor. It doesn't even show the street we're on, or the street behind us that marks the back boundary of the properties.
posted by tckma at 5:59 AM on August 10, 2011
posted by tckma at 5:59 AM on August 10, 2011
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Do you have a plat or are you having one drawn up? SC is probably Section. LT from IMPSLT is probably Lot.
posted by mattbucher at 1:22 PM on August 9, 2011