Legal Descriptions: Free Florida Real Estate Practice Questions

1. 1. Which of the following best explains the primary legal purpose of a property's legal description in a Florida deed or contract?

   • A) To identify the parcel with enough precision that a surveyor or court can locate and distinguish it from every other parcel of land
   • B) To describe the physical condition and value of the improvements on the property
   • C) To establish the chain of ownership from the original land grant to the present day
   • D) To provide the county appraiser with the tax parcel identification number used for assessment
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   Correct answer: A) To identify the parcel with enough precision that a surveyor or court can locate and distinguish it from every other parcel of land

   A legal description must uniquely identify the specific parcel of real estate so that a surveyor, attorney, or court can locate and distinguish it from all other parcels with certainty. It is not a description of improvements, value, or ownership history. A street address, tax ID number, or informal description of boundaries does not qualify as a legal description and cannot be substituted for one in a deed.

2. 2. A complete lot and block legal description referencing a recorded Florida subdivision must include which of the following elements?

   • A) Compass bearings and measured distances to each corner of the lot
   • B) The principal meridian designation and base line reference from the rectangular survey
   • C) The total acreage of the lot and the widths of all adjacent streets
   • D) The lot number, block number, subdivision name, and the county and state where the plat is recorded
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   Correct answer: D) The lot number, block number, subdivision name, and the county and state where the plat is recorded

   A lot and block description references: (1) the specific lot number within its block, (2) the block number within the subdivision, (3) the recorded name of the subdivision, and (4) the county and state where the subdivision plat is filed in the public records (with plat book and page number often included for precision). Compass bearings and distances are elements of metes and bounds. Township and range designations belong to the government survey system.

3. 3. In the government rectangular survey system, a standard township is defined as:

   • A) A single 1-mile by 1-mile unit containing exactly 640 acres and 36 parcels
   • B) A horizontal east-west row of counties, numbered north or south of the base line
   • C) A 6-mile by 6-mile square block of land containing 36 sections totaling approximately 23,040 acres
   • D) A variable-size political unit whose boundaries are determined by each state's legislature
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   Correct answer: C) A 6-mile by 6-mile square block of land containing 36 sections totaling approximately 23,040 acres

   A township in the rectangular survey system is a square measuring 6 miles on each side, encompassing 36 square miles. It contains 36 numbered sections, each approximately 1 mile by 1 mile (640 acres). Total acreage: 36 sections x 640 acres = 23,040 acres per township. A 1x1-mile unit is a section, not a township; a row of townships is called a tier; political township boundaries do not define survey townships.

4. 4. How many sections are contained within one standard township, and how are they arranged?

   • A) 6 sections, one for each mile of the township's perimeter
   • B) 36 sections, arranged in a 6-by-6 grid and numbered 1 through 36
   • C) 16 sections, arranged in a 4-by-4 grid
   • D) 100 sections, allowing for a decimal-based subdivision system
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   Correct answer: B) 36 sections, arranged in a 6-by-6 grid and numbered 1 through 36

   A township contains exactly 36 sections arranged in a 6-by-6 grid. Each section is approximately 1 square mile (640 acres). The math: 6 sections per side x 6 sections per side = 36 sections; 36 x 640 = 23,040 acres per township. The sections are numbered 1 through 36 in a specific snake pattern starting in the northeast corner.

5. 5. What is the acreage of the E 1/2 of the NW 1/4 of a section?

   • A) 80 acres
   • B) 160 acres
   • C) 40 acres
   • D) 320 acres
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   Correct answer: A) 80 acres

   Step 1: Full section = 640 acres. Step 2: NW 1/4 = 640 x 1/4 = 160 acres. Step 3: E 1/2 of the NW 1/4 = 160 x 1/2 = 80 acres. Alternatively: the fraction is 1/2 x 1/4 = 1/8 of a section; 640 / 8 = 80 acres. The answer of 160 acres would be just the NW 1/4 with no further division; 40 acres would be a quarter-quarter section; 320 acres is half the full section.

6. 6. A buyer purchases the SE 1/4 of the NW 1/4 of Section 22, T4N, R3E at a price of $6,500 per acre. What is the total purchase price?

   • A) $1,040,000
   • B) $520,000
   • C) $416,000
   • D) $260,000
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   Correct answer: D) $260,000

   Step 1 -- Calculate acreage: SE 1/4 of NW 1/4 = 1/4 x 1/4 of a section = 1/16 x 640 = 40 acres. Step 2 -- Calculate price: 40 acres x $6,500/acre = $260,000. The township-range designation (T4N, R3E) locates the township but does not change the acreage calculation. The $1,040,000 answer would result from using 160 acres (a full quarter section); $520,000 from 80 acres; $416,000 from 64 acres -- none of which equal a quarter-quarter.

Not affiliated with Pearson VUE, the Florida DBPR, or FREC. This is an independent study tool; questions are original and verified against Florida statutes and FREC rules.