In surveying and property law, a legal description of a property is a written statement that delineates the boundaries of a piece of real property. It is a precise location and measurement of real property, providing accuracy and consistency over time, and serving to prevent boundary disputes and problems with the chain of title. The legal description is used in the written transfer of real property, and it is universally required that the instrument of conveyance (deed) include a written description of the property
. The legal description is essential for transferring ownership, writing a valid deed of conveyance, mortgage documents, executing and recording other real estate documents, and for public recording
. It is also used for a title search, appears on the title insurance policy, and is required to have a valid mortgage on a property
. The legal description should give a surveyor enough information to find and measure the land's boundaries, and it is required to be accurate and specific enough to uniquely identify the property as distinct from all other properties
