There are 43,560 square feet in an acre. I was wandering out at Mt Vernon and walked through this field in the lower farm, It is about 200 feet wide and about 1,000 feet long, it is about 5 acres, every 217 feet at that width is an acre. I learned the 43,560 fact back in 1978 for a licensing exam, and it stuck.
Accretion and discretion describe the gain or loss of property, when the property line is set by the a watercourse, and the course of the river or stream changes over time. Historically the border between Virginia and Maryland was the eastern shore of the Potomac River, that shore line moved, and Virginia filled in along the shore. It was settled with a firm line by agreement. This obscure rule made my father money when he sold the farm to the neighboring farmer. The buyer knew the creek had shifted and that technically we owned several acres of what had been his land. He bought dad out for a premium, and surveyed the line setting it on solid land, and resold what was left a couple of years later.
Most US States have marketable record title acts, that set a time limit on claims of ownership in land. In some states it is as short as seven years, and you snooze you lose. A few states have no time limits, leading to some interesting litigation. One of my law school professors made a small fortune finding and litigating these claims.
What do you know, that other might think is a useless fact?
Useless? I know nothing useless. (ahem)
ReplyDeleteHow helpful.
DeleteI am a master at useless facts and information. Keeping with the theme, old Melbourne property titles had entitlement to the centre of the earth. Now and in recent decades it has become 15 metres below the surface. When projects are being built underground, under exiting old properties with the old titles to the centre of the earth the government is liable to compensate for invading the properties with the old titles.
ReplyDeleteIn Kentucky we owned a home on a 40ft by 90 ft lot, and we owned the mineral rights (coal) under it. I remember the center of the earth theory.
DeleteIf you need to tear a newspaper into strips, tear from the fold down. Don't go from side to side or you'll get little pieces. Now that print newspapers are on their way out, this is a really useless fact.
ReplyDeleteI kind of miss print newspapers, but I can't remember the last time I bought one.
DeleteMy head is stuffed full of useless facts but you know, right this second I can't think of a single one.
ReplyDeleteSomeone mentioned "replevin" the other day, I haven't seen that since the first year of law school.
DeleteSelf-contained underwater breathing apparatus, mostly known as scuba gear.
ReplyDeleteIn a city of acronyms, that one actually passed into common usage as a word.
DeleteUseless facts... hmmm... you got all day?
ReplyDeletefor you of course I do, well see me after January 5th
DeleteI really don't think that there is such a thing as a useless fact. Boring facts, yes, but useful to somebody somewhere.
ReplyDeleteGood point, obscure might be a better descriptor
DeleteI have a thing for TV addresses ... Rob & Laura Petrie [The Dick Van Dyke Show] lived at 148 Bonny Meadow Rd, while the Bunkers [All in the Family] lived at 704 Houser Street.
ReplyDeleteThere are others floating around in my head.
I would google those to see if the address is real.
DeleteLucy and Rick lived at 623 E 68th St. but in real life that would have been in the middle of the East River.
DeleteI know that the capital of Tahiti is Papeete.
ReplyDeleteFew know that
Delete