Property Boundaries Described for Legal Recording
Legal Descriptions in the Quad Cities and surrounding areas for deeds, easements, and subdivision plats requiring certified surveyor documentation
A certified legal description translates field measurements into the precise language attorneys and title companies use to record property boundaries, easements, and subdivisions in county records. Abbitt Survey & Development, PLLC prepares legal descriptions derived from boundary surveys and topographic data for farm divisions, easement agreements, and subdivision plats across the Quad Cities and the surrounding areas, and Iowa service areas. Illinois and Iowa require licensed surveyor certification for all property conveyances, meaning informal sketches or approximations cannot be used for deed recording or title transfers.
Legal descriptions use metes and bounds language, lot and block references, or coordinate systems to define property perimeters in a format that remains accurate even when physical markers disappear or streets are renamed. Surveyors create these descriptions by measuring property corners, calculating distances and bearings, and cross-referencing recorded plats and prior deeds. The result is a text block that attorneys insert into deeds, easement agreements, and mortgage documents to legally define what is being transferred.
Arrange a property evaluation to determine the survey data required for your legal description and recording timeline.
How Legal Descriptions Are Prepared Correctly
Surveyors derive legal descriptions from field surveys by recording the direction and length of each boundary segment, referencing section lines or recorded plats, and identifying any easements or exceptions within the property. Descriptions are formatted to match county recording standards and reviewed by title companies to confirm they match existing records and close mathematically without gaps or overlaps. Farm divisions and easement corridors require particularly precise descriptions because they create new parcels or rights that must fit within the parent property without ambiguity.
After Abbitt Survey & Development, PLLC completes the description, you receive a certified document that attorneys incorporate directly into deeds and easement agreements for recording. Title companies review the description during closing to verify it matches the surveyed property and supports clear title transfer. Properties described using outdated or informal language often face title defects that delay closings until a licensed surveyor provides updated, certified documentation.
Legal descriptions define property boundaries but do not convey ownership or grant rights—those actions require executed deeds and recorded agreements prepared by attorneys. Surveyors coordinate with real estate attorneys to ensure descriptions are formatted correctly and match the intended conveyance, whether for outright sale, easement creation, or subdivision platting.
Answers to Frequent Service Questions
Legal description questions often focus on how surveyors translate field data into language that supports recorded transactions and clear title.
What is included in a legal description?
The description includes boundary directions and distances, references to section lines or recorded plats, and any easements or exceptions affecting the property perimeter.
Why can't I use the description from my old deed?
Old descriptions may reference vanished landmarks, contain calculation errors, or use outdated coordinate systems that no longer match county standards, requiring a licensed surveyor to update the language based on current field measurements.
When do I need a new legal description?
You need one when dividing property, creating easements, correcting title defects, or transferring land where the existing description is incomplete, incorrect, or references features that no longer exist.
How does a legal description support title insurance in East Moline?
Title companies use the certified description to verify that the surveyed property matches recorded boundaries and contains no gaps, overlaps, or conflicts that would prevent clear title transfer.
What happens if the legal description contains errors?
Recording defective descriptions creates title clouds, boundary disputes, and delayed closings until a licensed surveyor provides corrected documentation that matches the actual property perimeter.
Abbitt Survey & Development, PLLC prepares legal descriptions in coordination with title companies and real estate attorneys to support recorded transactions across farm, residential, commercial, and industrial properties. Contact the office to discuss your property conveyance or subdivision requirements.
