Real Estate Law VERSIONS 2025
NEWEST EXAM COMPLETE
QUESTIONS WITH DETAILED
VERIFIED ANSWERS (100%
CORRECT ANSWERS) ||ALREADY
GRADED A+
1. What information should a survey provide for the purpose of a land
description? - ANSWER A survey should provide at least the following
information: (a) the state and county where the property is located; (b) the
principal meridian, township, and range lines for government rectangular
surveys; (c) land district, land lot, or section for metes and bounds; (d) the
section number and division within the section for government rectangular
surveys; (e) an indication of which direction on the survey is north; (f) a
point of beginning for the land description; (g) courses and distances for
each property line; (h) the name of the surveyor; (i) scale for distances not
shown on the survey; (j) a legend of abbreviations or symbols used; and (k)
the date of the survey.
2. Identify and describe the three types of land description. - ANSWER (a)
government rectangular survey description, (b) platted description, and (c)
metes and bounds description. Descriptions of these three types are found
throughout the chapter.
3. What type of description commonly is used in a residential subdivision? -
ANSWER Platted description
4. What is a base line, and what is its relation to a meridian line in a
government rectangular survey? - ANSWER A base line is a surveyor's
line that runs due east and west and is identified as being a certain number of
degrees north of the equator. Its relationship with a meridian is that only one
base line will cross each principal meridian. Therefore, a parcel of land can
be described as being a certain distance east or west of a given principal
meridian and a certain distance north or south of a given base line.
5. What are the basic requirements for a platted description? - ANSWER
These are the basic requirements for a platted description: (a) land lot, (b)
district, (c) county, (d) state, (e) subdivision name, (f) lot and unit number,
and (g) recorded reference to plat book and page numbers.
6. What information should a land surveyor give to prepare a legal description
involving a curved land boundary? - ANSWER A land surveyor should
give the following information concerning each curve: (a) the arc distance of
the curve; (b) the radius distance of the curve; (c) the chord course (chord
being a straight line drawn from the beginning point of the arc to the ending
point of the arc); and (d) the distance of the chord.
7. What is required to have a correct point of beginning on a metes and bounds
legal description? - ANSWER The beginning point must be precise, or the
entire description will be incorrect. The beginning point must be a definitely
ascertainable point or point that can be located on the ground. Therefore, a
beginning point must be either (a) at a known point (a monument, man-made
or natural), such as a land lot corner, street corner, street intersection,
intersection of a street with a railroad, etc.) or (b) a certain course and
distance from a monument.
8. In a metes and bounds legal description, each property boundary is described
by a course and distance. What is a course, and what is a distance? -
ANSWER A course is a direction in which the boundary line travels, and
the distance is the length of the boundary line.
9. List and briefly discuss various types of government regulation of private
property. - ANSWER Zoning regulations, building codes, subdivision
regulations, environmental protection laws, power of eminent domain, and
taxation. All of these are discussed in this chapter.
10.What general methods does a government authority use to enforce its zoning
regulations? - ANSWER Zoning may be enforced through injunction by
the public authorities of nonpermitted uses. The issuance of building permits
is another way to enforce a zoning ordinance. A building permit will be
refused unless the proposed improvement and its intended use comply with
zoning.
11.What is a real property owner's general responsibility for hazardous waste
located on the real property? - ANSWER Under federal law, current
owners or operators are responsible for all cleanup costs of the hazardous
wastes. The owner may be held liable for the full amount of cleanup costs no
matter how small his or her contribution has been in generating the
hazardous substance. The liability is absolute, and lack of negligence or fault
is no defense.
12.What are the main legal issues involved in an eminent domain proceeding? -
ANSWER The main issues are (a) whether the owner has been provided
with necessary procedural safeguards such as a hearing and an opportunity
to be represented by counsel; (b) whether the use for which the private
property is to be taken is a proper public use; and (c) whether the property
owner has been paid fair market value for the property being taken.
13.What is a judgment lien, and why should a real property owner be concerned
about it? - ANSWER A judgment lien is a money debt that attaches to real
property. The property owner should be concerned about a judgment lien
because if it is not paid, the property can be sold by the lienholder to satisfy
the lien.
14.Who is entitled to claim a mechanic's or materialmen's lien? - ANSWER
Generally, most states permit contractors, laborers, subcontractors, material
suppliers, lessors of equipment and machinery, architects, professional
engineers, and land surveyors to claim a mechanic's or materialmen's lien.
15.How are liens for unpaid real property taxes enforced by the public taxing
authority? - ANSWER Unpaid tax liens are enforced by a sale of the
property subject to the unpaid taxes. This sale is a public sale and usually
conducted by a sheriff of the county. The taxpayer is given notice of the sale
and the sale is publicly advertised.
16.What is the general rule for the priority of a mechanic's or materialmen's lien
claim, and why is this priority important? - ANSWER The general rule is
that a lien claim dates from the time work is first performed and the material
is first furnished. The importance of priority is that the lien claimant's right
to be paid will come ahead of any party who acquires an interest in the
property after the lien has attached to the property. For example, if work is
first performed on March 1 and a lien claim takes effect as of March 1, and
the property owner then borrows money and pledges a mortgage on the
property dated April 1, the April 1 mortgage will be junior to the lien claim,
and if the property is sold to satisfy debts, the lien claimant will be paid first.
17.What is required for a formal notice or claim of lien? - ANSWER Formal
notices or claims of lien requirements vary from state to state but generally
include (a) the amount of the claim, (b) the name of the lien claimant, (c) the
name of the owner, (d) the description of the real property to be liened, and
(e) the notarized signature of the lien claimant.
18.How are private restrictive covenants enforced? - ANSWER Private
restrictive covenants are enforced by injunction or by a suit for money
damages
19.What is real property, and how does it differ from personal property? -
ANSWER Real property relates to land and those things that are more or
less permanently attached to the land, such as homes, office buildings, and
trees. Personal property refers to all other things, such as automobiles,
furniture, stocks, and bonds.
Content preview
Real Estate Law VERSIONS 2025
NEWEST EXAM COMPLETE
QUESTIONS WITH DETAILED
VERIFIED ANSWERS (100%
CORRECT ANSWERS) ||ALREADY
GRADED A+
1. What information should a survey provide for the purpose of a land
description? - ANSWER ✓ A survey should provide at least the following
information: (a) the state and county where the property is located; (b) the
principal meridian, township, and range lines for government rectangular
surveys; (c) land district, land lot, or section for metes and bounds; (d) the
section number and division within the section for government rectangular
surveys; (e) an indication of which direction on the survey is north; (f) a
point of beginning for the land description; (g) courses and distances for
each property line; (h) the name of the surveyor; (i) scale for distances not
shown on the survey; (j) a legend of abbreviations or symbols used; and (k)
the date of the survey.
2. Identify and describe the three types of land description. - ANSWER ✓ (a)
government rectangular survey description, (b) platted description, and (c)
metes and bounds description. Descriptions of these three types are found
throughout the chapter.
3. What type of description commonly is used in a residential subdivision? -
ANSWER ✓ Platted description
4. What is a base line, and what is its relation to a meridian line in a
government rectangular survey? - ANSWER ✓ A base line is a surveyor's
line that runs due east and west and is identified as being a certain number of
degrees north of the equator. Its relationship with a meridian is that only one
base line will cross each principal meridian. Therefore, a parcel of land can
, be described as being a certain distance east or west of a given principal
meridian and a certain distance north or south of a given base line.
5. What are the basic requirements for a platted description? - ANSWER ✓
These are the basic requirements for a platted description: (a) land lot, (b)
district, (c) county, (d) state, (e) subdivision name, (f) lot and unit number,
and (g) recorded reference to plat book and page numbers.
6. What information should a land surveyor give to prepare a legal description
involving a curved land boundary? - ANSWER ✓ A land surveyor should
give the following information concerning each curve: (a) the arc distance of
the curve; (b) the radius distance of the curve; (c) the chord course (chord
being a straight line drawn from the beginning point of the arc to the ending
point of the arc); and (d) the distance of the chord.
7. What is required to have a correct point of beginning on a metes and bounds
legal description? - ANSWER ✓ The beginning point must be precise, or the
entire description will be incorrect. The beginning point must be a definitely
ascertainable point or point that can be located on the ground. Therefore, a
beginning point must be either (a) at a known point (a monument, man-made
or natural), such as a land lot corner, street corner, street intersection,
intersection of a street with a railroad, etc.) or (b) a certain course and
distance from a monument.
8. In a metes and bounds legal description, each property boundary is described
by a course and distance. What is a course, and what is a distance? -
ANSWER ✓ A course is a direction in which the boundary line travels, and
the distance is the length of the boundary line.
9. List and briefly discuss various types of government regulation of private
property. - ANSWER ✓ Zoning regulations, building codes, subdivision
regulations, environmental protection laws, power of eminent domain, and
taxation. All of these are discussed in this chapter.
10.What general methods does a government authority use to enforce its zoning
regulations? - ANSWER ✓ Zoning may be enforced through injunction by
the public authorities of nonpermitted uses. The issuance of building permits
is another way to enforce a zoning ordinance. A building permit will be