In rural areas of the eastern United States, which adhere to the metes and bounds system of land division, descriptions of land not based on surveys are commonly found in deeds of conveyance. A common element of these descriptions in which boundaries are not defined by bearings and distances is an estimation of acreage at the terminus of the description. The objectives of this research are to investigate the accuracy of acreage estimated in descriptions not based on surveys and determine if characteristics of the land described are significant in explaining the variability of the accuracy measures obtained. These objectives are accomplished by: (1) establishment of accuracy of measuring parcel size from aerial photography; (2) comparison of acreage estimate in descriptions with measured parcel size; (3) the over-assessment of variables, such as parcel size, in conjunction with the comparison of deeded acreage to mapped parcel acreage.

This study is based on data obtained from public records in Morgan County, Kentucky, a rural eastern Kentucky county. A sample of 204 parcels was examined.

The results indicate that parcel acreage estimated in deeds averages 12.9 percent more than acreage measured from aerial photographs. Parcel size was the only significant variable explaining variation in the comparison of described acreage to mapped parcel acreage.

Background information, methods of investigation, and results and conclusions are included.