# Don't laugh~what is MOL acreage?



## countrymouse2b

We currently live in a duplex in the city, so bear with my ignorance. I am looking at properties on Craigslist and I don't know what MOL means?

Thanks


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## tickranch

more or less

example~ we own 19.81 acres, it would be listed as 19 acres mol


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## countrymouse2b

Thank you! LOL I never would have guessed.


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## Tiempo

Ah, I wouldn't have figured that out either 

The place we are buying is 3.38 acres, it was advertized as 3.3 +/-


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## hillsidedigger

Until a complete and current title search is conducted in conjunction with a correct and current survey the expressed area of many parcels of land is just a guess arrived at by somebody, somehow at some past time (often by simply guessing or using over-simplified mathematical technigues used to force-close the geometry of a poor description). In the county where I live most areas of parcels, before 1970, were determined by wise old men (con-men) who for a small fee simply walked around a piece of land and they could 'FEEL' the acreage!!!! The area would be larger if the seller was paying for the walk-around survey and smaller if the buyer was paying.I have seen 250 actual acres called only 50 and I have seen 20 actual acres called 500.

You would think that 3.38 acres more or less means the more or less is merely from rounding meaning it should be between 3.375 and 3.385 acres but don't believe it, the parcel may not even exist and the actual area may be considerably different.


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## Tiempo

hillsidedigger said:


> Until a complete and current title search is conducted in conjunction with a correct and current survey the expressed area of many parcels of land is just a guess arrived at by somebody, somehow at some past time (often by simply guessing or using over-simplified mathematical technigues used to force-close the geometry of a poor description). In my area most areas of parcels, before 1970, were determined by wise old men (con-men) who for a small fee simply walked around a piece of land and they could 'FEEL' the acreage!!!! The area would be larger if the seller was paying for the walk-around survey and smaller if the buyer was paying.
> 
> You would think that 3.38 acres more or less means the more or less is merely from rounding meaning it should be between 3.375 and 3.385 acres but don't believe it, the parcel may not even exist and the actual area may be considerably different.


Interesting!

On the tax info sheet we have for the property, the exact geograpic co-ordinates of the corners are listed with the surveyed acreage.


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## hillsidedigger

Tiempo said:


> Interesting!
> 
> On the tax info sheet we have for the property, the exact geograpic co-ordinates of the corners are listed with the surveyed acreage.


I would check to see if a plat of that property was recorded in your local registry and compare that plat with the tax info. sheet (the registry plat subject to any easements or out-conveyances supercedes the tax info sheet). Tax info sheets are notoriously inaccurate as well unless based upon a correct survey. Without a correct and geo-referenced survey of the property (or possibly of all adjoining properties) there is no way on Earth that a tax info. sheet can list accurate and precise coordinates of all the corners of the property. The information detailed on a Tax Map or a Tax GIS can be no better than the record description of the property and often fails to even accurately reflect the record description. Note, even in this modern age we live in many properties are held with 'poor' record descriptions. 

With modern aerial and space based photography and Geographic Information System computers the tax people attempt to plot as best they can parcels of land on the photographs and it may well very illusorily appear that exact coordinates of the corners can be determined (really, very more-or-less coordinates). But, many county tax departments around the country do not pay enough to attract the type of educated and experienced workers who can handle such meticulous mathematical, boundary and title analysis (such a county worker would need to be a surveyor, a geodesist, a judge, a jury, attorney, and something of a clairvoyant genie all in one).


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## NShel

The phrase "more or less" acknowledges the fact that acreage is a specific measure that is not necessarily obtainable. For example, a forty-acre parcel should be 40 x 43,560 square feet, but if it's on very sloping terrain, it can be quite a bit larger. Then there's the fact that some "forties" were made smaller (or larger) to allow for the curvature of the earth. Also, surveyors sometimes make mistakes.

"More or less" is not a way to avoid telling the truth about acreage, It's more a way to avoid inadvertently telling a lie. You can still have a reasonable expectation of winning a lawsuit if someone sells you 38 acres, as 40, more or less.

The phrase first came into use by real estate agents wishing to avoid lawsuits. You'll notice that that's where you see the term used almost exclusively. The simplest thing to do is ignore it.


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## Kathie

When in real estate more or less is used because the fences on a partial may not be exactly on the line. The older generations would keep life simple and fenced the easiest way . For instance your line is a wet weather stream bed they fenced on one side or other they did not like mending fences either. We told buyers if you want exact acreage do a survey.


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## NShel

Kathie said:


> When in real estate more or less is used because the fences on a partial may not be exactly on the line. The older generations would keep life simple and fenced the easiest way . For instance your line is a wet weather stream bed they fenced on one side or other they did not like mending fences either. We told buyers if you want exact acreage do a survey.


I'm sorry, I have to disagree with you. The phrase was invented as a way for real estate brokers and other professionals to avoid lawsuits and you'll find it used even when a survey has been made. 

Remember that the earth is round and land measurements are done in squares and rectangles. Then imagine the difficulty of putting a postage stamp on an orange. It wrinkles. Now imagine covering the orange with stamps. Even though most of the US is divided into mile-square sections, very few of those sections are EXACTLY a mile square, some are *more*, and some are *less*, thus it is quite common, likely even, that if you have a quarter of a quarter section, a/k/a forty acres, that forty will _probably _be slightly more, or slightly less than forty acres.

Here's an example, a breakout of several forties. Notice that the forties are of several different sizes, although most everyone has been taught that a forty is a quarter-mile (1320 feet) square.


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