Legal Definitions - frustrum terrae

Historically, frustrum terrae refers to a small, often irregularly shaped piece of land. This term was frequently used to describe a fragment of property that remained after a larger area had been surveyed, divided, or developed, often due to measurement discrepancies or the impracticality of incorporating the small piece into an adjacent parcel.

• Example 1: Remnant from a Subdivision

  Imagine a large rural property that is being subdivided into residential building lots. After all the standard-sized lots are mapped out and the necessary roads and utilities are planned, there might be a small, oddly shaped triangular or trapezoidal patch of land left over at the edge of the original parcel. This leftover piece, too small or irregularly shaped to be a viable building lot on its own, would be considered a frustrum terrae. It's a fragment remaining after the primary division of the land.

• Example 2: Unclaimed Sliver from a Boundary Survey

  Consider two neighboring properties whose owners decide to have a new, precise survey conducted to resolve a long-standing fence line dispute. The survey reveals that between their two main parcels, there is a very narrow, elongated strip of land, perhaps only a few feet wide, that was never clearly included in either deed due to an old, less accurate survey or an oversight. This small, unassigned sliver of land, a fragment unearthed by the new measurement, exemplifies a frustrum terrae.

• Example 3: Isolated Parcel After Infrastructure Development

  A farmer owns a large, rectangular field. A new highway is constructed, cutting diagonally through one corner of the field. After the highway is built, a very small, isolated patch of the original field remains on the opposite side of the highway, completely separated from the main farm. This small, cut-off piece, now too small and inaccessible for agricultural use, represents a frustrum terrae, a fragment of the original land parcel created by an external development.