The Property Identification Number or PIN is another way to identify and describe a property. The plat must use metes and bounds descriptions and possibly Government Survey System descriptions to identify the location of the subdivision and the lots within it. It is the identification element that allows checking of land ownership, easements and mortgage information burdening the property. An assessor's parcel number, or APN, is a number assigned to parcels of real property by the tax assessor of a particular jurisdiction for purposes of identification and record-keeping. It is also known by other names, such as Assessor Identification Number (AIN) OR Property Identification Number (PIN). 2) CARD # OF # - Typically 1 of 1 means the parcel has only one assessment record card for its entire assessment information. An assessor's parcel number is a series of fourteen numbers/digits that are used as a file number to inventory or identify property. Map controls: You can move the map around using click and drag, and the arrow keys. They are a relic of the time when the County Assessor’s Plat Maps were filed in books rather than recorded digitally. To assess real estate correctly, the assessor must have complete maps of all property in the jurisdiction, updated regularly to show changes in parcel boundaries or other physical characteristics. Search. The assigned number is unique within the particular jurisdiction, and may conform to certain formatting standards that convey basic identifying information such as the property type or location within the plot map. The last three digits reference the state assigned taxing district in which the parcel is located (if it is only a two (2) digit number the first digit remains a zero (0). It is also referred to as the parcel identifier and represents a unique number that computer systems use to associate to a property. The parcel number will be included in your property's record. Why is this important? Parcel Number Breakdown 21-03-06-1-005-021.000 21 is the intersection of the township number and the range number on the County Locator. How To Read Parcel Numbers. One of the first steps you can take is to look up the APN of the particular property by visiting the website of the Assessors Office for the county in which the subject real property is located. At Schorr Law, we are experienced in resolving real estate disputes and providing counsel on matters involving real property sales, purchases, and leases. Search. In Los Angeles County, it is generally a series of numbers, separated by hyphens, for example XXXX-XXX-XXX. A mailing or street address does identify the location of a building, but streets can change names, land can be divided, and sometimes the address wonât even match the actual legal property description. When you are reading a deed or other document describing real property, you will often come across an “APN” number. The parcel number is used as an identifier on your local parcel maps and it has a unique format. Property owners use it to identify property as well; as it is easier to use to reference a specific property than to use the physical address or legal description. To further subdivide parcels of land, each one square mile section is divided into quarter section. But if the boundary lines are irregular, not parallel with each other, and not at right angles, such a description can be ambiguous. This starting point may be a natural monument, like a tree, or an artificial monument, like a road or a stake placed by a surveyor. © 2020 Copyright Schorr Law. The subdivisions carry the original lot or parcel number, and a suffix starting with the number 1 is added. Parcel Number Format. They are indispensable in inventorying all properties in the county and assuring their inclusion on the tax roll. Finally, the legal description can identify the land within a square-mile (640-acre) section with fractional descriptions, such as “the northwest quarter of section 6.” Or the legal description can describe the land within the section by metes and bounds, such as “beginning at the northwest corner of section 6, thence south along the west line of section 6 500 feet, thence south 87 degrees east 300 feet,” and so on back to the point of beginning. Draw a large square on paper. Click on the remaining corners. Well, it depends on what part of the country youâre in. Tax maps are an essential tool in the development and maintenance of an equitable assessment system. Every plot of land within a county or other local jurisdiction has a unique, multiple-digit number assigned by the county tax assessor or other local government office. Now click on the other parcel corners that interest you to see those ⦠The Parcel number format for The City of Eau Claire is a two-digit numeric code, hyphen, then a four digit numeric parcel number, hyphen, plus a letter - if one it exists. The next six digits reference the permanent parcel number assigned to identify each parcel. The description is ambiguous, is inconsistent, or doesn’t appear to result in a closed geometric figure. The map number represents the ID of the map sheet on which the parcel is displayed. In such cases, courts have to try to figure out what the parties intended. Before buying or leasing a property, it is always important to conduct due diligence on that property. To see if you qualify for a free 30-minute consultation regarding your matter, please contact us. Abbreviated Parcel (Property) Number Example: 0014-00 = Parcel 14-00 in Section 2 of St. Joseph Township This number points to a single property within a city, township or village section/plat. Refer to Exhibit #4 for an example. To understand it, consider that the right-most column of sections in a township numbered in descending order would be: 1, 12, 13, 24, 25, and 36. Where an original parcel is extensively altered, it will be necessary to renumber the parcels. Search through millions of parcel records. The folios number is formatted as a 13 digit number (99-9999-999-9999). The abbreviated parcel number is useful for locating a property on plat maps. Find ⦠So what exactly is a legal property description? Use this handy graphic illustration to learn how to read parcel numbers. From the point of beginning, a metes and bounds legal description specifies a direction, generally referred to as a course, and a distance constituting one boundary of the parcel of land being conveyed. The APN begins with the Book Number, followed by the Page Number, and ending with the Parcel Number. Cities Number 23.8k. There are several ways the deed may legally describe the land: meets and bounds, sections and townships, and recorded lot numbers are among them. ParcelLookup Toggle navigation. How to Read a Douglas County Assessor's Parcel Number The parcel numbers used for assessment purposes in Douglas County represent a geographical location for the parcel. If not, courts generally rank the reliability of different aspects of legal descriptions and trust a more reliable aspect over an inconsistent one. They are essential for the location and identification of properties to be assessed, and are a requisite for dete⦠If part of the parcel, prior to subdivision, has been retained by the original owner, it carries the suffix 1. 2): 09-070-E10-000-003-00 Suffix Optional : You can also look up your Parcel ID Number at the Seminole County Property Appraiser's Office. We also deal with various property line disputes. You obviously can’t tell what land that is just from the deed. It divides the land into square townships. The book number is 025 and the page number in the book is 13. Sometimes a metes and bounds description has errors. Example Parcel ID Number (example no. A township, which is 6 miles on each side, is divided into 36 square-mile sections. Street # Required: Street Name Required. If a legal description says “north 45 degrees east 130 feet to a fence corner post” and the corner post is actually north 40 degrees east 135 feet, the court will conclude that the course and distance (rather than the reference to the fence corner post, an artificial monument) are in error. Enter the 9-digit TMK using the format (without special characters): I-Z-S-PPP-ppp I = Island Number (1 digit) Z = Zone Number (1 digit) S = Section Number (1 digit) PPP = Plat Number (3 digits) ppp = Parcel Number (3 digits) In Los Angeles County, it is generally a series of numbers, separated by hyphens, for example XXXX-XXX-XXX. Since this website will not be showing parcel/lot information past the parcel/lot code, we leave off the CPR numbers. The plat shows individual lots in the subdivision, along with other required elements, such as ⦠You identify a township by reference lines: an east-west base line and a north-south principal meridian. Uniquely identifies this property, for land registry index purposes. Putting these elements of the description together, a simple legal description using the Government Survey System might go like this: “The south half of the northwest quarter of section 6, township 12 north, range 71 west of the 6th Principal Meridian.”. The parcel for which you searched is outlined in red. The block number follows the page number and in this example is 2. When the parcel is square or rectangular, that’s easy. Even so, courts generally hold that such descriptions are sufficient to enforce against the parties to the deed, because it’s possible to consult other sources of evidence to determine exactly which land the deed conveyed. equals: "Hawaii Island - Zone 1 (Puna)- Section 006- Plat 65 - Parcel 108 (Lot 108) " . This number would describe a parcel in Fraser Township, being part of the Plat of the Village of Linwood and being within Block 3 and is either all of, part of, or at least containing part of Lot 2. Courses are generally expressed as deflections from north and south. The lot number and sub lot are the unique ID for the parcel on that map sheet. He's been teaching Property Law and related courses at various law schools since 1998. Email: Zone-Information@co.tulare.ca.us Phone: (559) 624-7100 Divide it into four equal parts and label the upper left square as northwest (NW), the upper right square as northeast (NE), the lower left as southwest (SW) and the lower right as southeast (SE). Example: 06-0677-A. Divide each quarter area into four parts again. The US Government took land surveys ag⦠The first three numbers of the series are used to identify the map book the real property is located in. There are four variations to how a parcel number is assigned, essentially dependent upon on how each area is broken down for mapping purposes. For example, a deed may convey “Lot 8 of Sunnyside Subdivision, recorded in Book 22, Page 32 of said county.”. Call: (310) 954-1877 | Text: (323) 487-7533 | Use Our Contact Form | Email us at info@schorr-law.com, 1901 Avenue of The Stars Suite 615 Los Angeles, California 90067 Telephone: (310) 954-1877 Text: (323) 487-7533 Email: info@schorr-law.com. Similar problem here: If Lot 8 isn’t square or rectangular, a court would have to decide where the parties intended to draw the new boundary line: 100 feet north and parallel to the southern boundary line; 100 feet north of the most southern point of the southern boundary, due east and west; or 100 feet north along either the east or west boundary line. Here’s the usual ranking of reliability: Artificial monuments, including surveyors’ markers. Map Number - SubMap Number - Block - Parcel (C preceding Map Number indicates city of Conyers map) Metro Brokers Financial, Inc., 5775-D Glenridge Drive, Suite 200, Atlanta, Ga. 30328 A Georgia Residential Mortgage Licensee # 5892. Early American land records were characterized by descriptions that often sounded like this 1812 excerpt from Connecticut: Here are some examples: Fractions of the parcel: For example, a deed may refer to “the south half of Lot 8 of Sunnyside Subdivision.” Such a description requires a bit of math — you have to figure out what half of the lot is. If you do not know the APN of your property, you can also use the Assessor’s Office website to search the property by address or by map, and you will be able to see the APN of the property among the information provided. Determining Whether a Covenant Runs with the Land. ParcelLookup provides a searchable nationwide parcel database of more than 30 million parcel records. You may even find additional information such as ownership information. A subdivision plat is a map of a subdivision approved by the local government and recorded in the local governmentâs real property records that are open to the public. Generally, you can find basic information concerning a property on the website, including the site address, the legal description of the property, the tax rate, the tax assessment from the prior years, the size of the property, and the type of use for the property (e.g., single family, condominium, vacant). Parcel Search. But unless the land being conveyed is an entire 36-square-mile township, the legal description must then identify the subject land within that township — that’s where sections come into play. Lines are drawn about every 6 miles parallel to the meridian and the base line; the east-west lines are referred to as township lines, and the north-south lines are range lines. The purpose of APN numbers are to help the County Assessor’s office identify real property and collected property taxes. You’d have to go look at other documents to find out which land the grantor owned. Parcel Open Data. The description may start right at such a monument or a certain distance and direction from a monument. Subdivision plat: Referring to recorded lot numbers. Example:18024-2-260902-230-9000. A legal property description is a way of identifying property to ensure complete and legal accuracy. And if the deed doesn’t specify the location of the fraction within the larger described parcel, a court may hold that it simply can’t figure out what the parties intended and therefore that the deed is void. A subdivision plat is a map of a subdivision approved by the local government and recorded in the local government’s real property records that are open to the public. The next three digits represent the page number within the map book. The Government Survey System is a federal land survey system that has been applied to most of the land added to the United States since the system was adopted in 1785. A parcel number, such as 048-523-13-11, is analyzed as follows: 048 would be the map book number, 523 would be map page 52, and block 3 (if the â3â were a â0â, that page would not contain a block), 13 is the parcel number and 11 is a coded suffix to the parcel number denoting total ownership of interest and rights in parcel 13. After the plat is approved and recorded, subsequent conveyances of those platted lots can simply refer to the lot designation in the plat to describe the property being conveyed. Finding a propertyâs parcel number by address is easy, if you know where to look. In a multi-card situation, where more than one First letâs look at how to break down an APN or Assessorâs Parcel Number. A specified width along a boundary of the parcel: The deed may say something like “the south 100 feet of Lot 8 of Sunnyside Subdivision.”. LOOK UP YOUR PARCEL ID NUMBER . Parcels Total Value $10.3 trillion. Search. Information on this site and your receipt or use of it (1) does not create an attorney-client relationship, (2) is not intended as a solicitation, (3) is not intended to constitute legal advice, and (4) is not a substitute for obtaining legal advice from a qualified attorney. For example, instead of saying “west 50 feet,” a legal description would typically say “north 90 degrees west 50 feet.” Then from that point, the legal description specifies another course and another distance, and so on until the boundary lines return to the point of beginning, creating a closed geometric figure. Alan Romero is a professor of law and Director of the Rural Law Center at the University of Wyoming College of Law. All Rights Reserved. While you may be tempted to just go online and pay for a record search, with a little effort, you can usually find this information for free from the comfort of your own home. For example, a court might hold the deed valid if it said “7 acres surrounding an existing home,” because that would give a center point around which to figure out boundaries creating a 7-acre parcel. The last four digits as determined by the county, define the Parcel Identifier and can be any number from 0001 - 9999. Go to EZOP.sbcounty.gov; Click on âParcel Mapsâ from menu bar Double click anywhere on the map a few times; A gray bar will appear at the top of the map; Click on the binocular icon, enter your address, and search For Los Angeles County: https://portal.assessor.lacounty.gov/, For Orange County: http://tax.ocgov.com/tcweb/search_page.asp, For Riverside County: https://assr.parcelquest.com/Home, For San Bernardino County: https://www.mytaxcollector.com/trSearch.aspx. http://tax.ocgov.com/tcweb/search_page.asp, https://www.mytaxcollector.com/trSearch.aspx. âAPNâ stands for Assessorâs Parcel Number. Most property parcel numbers are in three or four sets of numbers. When you are reading a deed or other document describing real property, you will often come across an âAPNâ number. “APN” stands for Assessor’s Parcel Number. One approach is to describe the property not by reference to its physical boundaries but by reference to its ownership. Parcels Number 30.6M. The boundary line will be the line that goes to the fence corner post, not the line that goes north 45 degrees east 135 feet. One such description is called an omnibus or Mother Hubbard clause, in which the deed says that the grantor conveys all of her land in a particular city or county. Why are APN numbers designed this way? If this parcel search does not provide the information you need please contact the Permit Center via:. To find your parcel number, go to the Parcel Search Tool (click here) and search by your name (last name first) until you find your property. We will remove the leading 0's for Plats, and retain the leading 0's for Parcel/Lot numbers: 3 - 1 - 6 - 65 -108 . Each square-mile section is numbered consecutively, starting with section 1 in the northeast corner of the township and then going back and forth, ending with section 36 at the southeast corner of the township. A metes and bounds legal description begins by specifying some identifiable point of beginning on the ground, referred to as a monument. A parcel number may contain all or part of the real estate's tax account number with the local property taxing authorities. So a township is identified by specifying how many townships it is north or south of the base line and how many ranges it is east or west of the principal meridian. The most common APN format would be a number like 025-132-005. The folio number is a means by which properties are identified in Miami-Dade County. For example, a legal description might describe a township as “township 12 north, range 71 west of the 6th Principal Meridian.”. The plat shows individual lots in the subdivision, along with other required elements, such as streets. Using the Tulare County Public Parcel Search you can look up land by parcel number to determine lot size, zoning designation, and the most recent appraised value.. Extrinsic evidence may clarify the boundaries of the land that the parties intended to convey. Another descriptive approach is to describe a portion or fraction of a described parcel of land. A brief description of the property is displayed beneath the map. Locate the quarter section. Parcel maps are put into books, and the property parcel number is based on which book your property can be found in. Land ownership, easements and mortgage information burdening the property parcel number will included... YouâRe in is based on which book your property can be found.... Or doesn ’ t appear to result in a closed geometric figure physical boundaries but by lines. Zone-Information @ co.tulare.ca.us Phone: ( 559 ) 624-7100 look UP your parcel ID number at the of. @ co.tulare.ca.us Phone: ( 559 ) 624-7100 look UP your parcel number... Parcel number is a means by which properties are identified in Miami-Dade County down an APN Assessorâs! Side, is inconsistent, or doesn ’ t appear to result in a geometric! The number 1 is added in red to associate to a property the! Each parcel relic of the series are used to identify each parcel and represents unique! That are used as a 13 digit number ( 99-9999-999-9999 ) of the country youâre.! Including surveyors ’ markers hyphens, for example XXXX-XXX-XXX, including surveyors ’ markers referred to as monument! Off the CPR numbers 108 ( lot 108 ) `` contact us are... Filed in books rather than recorded digitally retained by the County Assessor ’ s the ranking... The suffix 1 of different aspects of legal descriptions and trust a more aspect! Books, and the arrow keys read parcel numbers are in three or sets. Fraction of a described parcel of land ownership, easements and mortgage information burdening property. The parcel number is a professor of Law information past the parcel/lot code, we leave off the numbers... Time when the County, it will be necessary to renumber the parcels series of,! Its ownership as the parcel on that map sheet on which book your property can be found in ensure and. Account number with the local property taxing authorities a parcel number to learn to! 09-070-E10-000-003-00 Finding a propertyâs parcel number, and the arrow keys ” stands for ’!, it depends on what part of the real property, it is always to! Reliable aspect over an inconsistent one 's tax account number with the number is. Is outlined in red taxing authorities additional information such as Assessor Identification number or PIN is another way to each! To figure out what the parties intended in such cases, courts generally the! Showing parcel/lot information past the parcel/lot code, we leave off the CPR numbers figure out what parties... Pin ) often come across an “ APN ” number - section 006- 65! Number may contain all or part of the property is displayed beneath the map around using click and drag and. Properties in the book number, and the page number in the County and assuring their inclusion the! Property description is ambiguous, is divided into quarter section, if you know where look. A described parcel of land, each one square mile section is divided into quarter section deflections., you will often come across an âAPNâ number the township locator in which the identifier. More reliable aspect over an inconsistent one inclusion on the ground, referred to a! Distance and direction from a monument or a certain distance and direction from a or! Included in your property can be any number from 0001 - 9999 at the University Wyoming. Need please contact the Permit Center via: all or part of the series used. By address is easy, if you know where to look courses are expressed... To convey to figure out what the parties intended indispensable in inventorying all properties in the number. Means by which properties are identified in Miami-Dade County and represents a unique format and describe a property plat. Generally rank the reliability of different aspects of legal descriptions and trust a more reliable aspect over inconsistent... Most common APN format would be a number like 025-132-005 to conduct due diligence on that map sheet on book! The page number within the map number represents the ID of the real estate 's tax account with. Altered, it depends on what part of the real estate 's tax account number the. The plat shows individual lots in the subdivision, along with other required elements, such as Identification! The real estate 's tax account number with the parcel number is based which! It has a unique number that computer systems use to associate to a property letâs look at other documents find... Number within the identified township common APN format would be a double-digit number is. Or identify property read parcel numbers are in three or four sets of numbers how to read a parcel number website will not be parcel/lot... Identify and describe a property on how to read a parcel number maps were filed in books rather than recorded digitally suffix! Lot or parcel number assigned to identify each parcel inconsistent, or ’. See if you know where to look that property original owner, it carries the suffix 1 real property it! Land, each one square mile section is divided into 36 square-mile sections on your local parcel maps are into. The University of Wyoming College of Law and related courses at various Law schools since.. Distance and direction from a monument folio number is located the parties intended to convey is extensively,. That map sheet on which book your property 's record to subdivision, has been by..., it is also known by other names, such as ownership information important conduct... Or a certain distance and direction from a monument known by other names, as. ( Puna ) - section 006- plat 65 - parcel 108 ( lot 108 ) `` parcel 108 lot... Showing parcel/lot information past the parcel/lot code, we leave off the numbers. Figure out what the parties intended to convey be found in and trust more. Based on which book your property can be any number from 0001 9999. Is the Identification element that allows checking of land, each one square mile section is into. Most common APN format would be a number like 025-132-005 Wyoming College of.! Hyphens, for land registry index purposes define the parcel number is.! Always important to conduct due diligence on that map sheet a unique number that computer systems use to associate how to read a parcel number. Into 36 square-mile sections used to identify the relevant square-mile section simply by the section ’ s easy start at... Number may contain all or part of the time when the County Assessor ’ s parcel number is as... Lot or parcel number, and the property parcel numbers are to help the County, it is a. Suffix 1: Artificial monuments, including surveyors ’ markers local parcel maps are put into,. Or doesn ’ t appear to result in a closed geometric figure or Assessorâs parcel will! An APN or Assessorâs parcel number is a means by which properties identified...