The way to determine the identity of a property is called

• A. Legal description
• B. Property tax assessment
• C. Deed
• D. Survey

Answer: (A)

The way to determine a property's identity is through its legal description, the precise boundary language that uniquely identifies the parcel in official records. This description can take forms such as metes and bounds, lot-and-block from a recorded plat, or the government survey system, and it stays consistent even if street addresses or parcel numbers change. It is the exact description that appears in deeds, mortgages, and title records to define what is being conveyed. A tax assessment uses a parcel number for billing and may not precisely match the legal boundaries, and a deed includes a legal description but is primarily the document of transfer rather than the standalone identifier. A survey shows the actual boundaries on the ground, but the legal description is the formal identifier used to distinguish the property in law.