District of Columbia Boundary Line Agreement

• Category: Real Estate - Adjoining Property
• State: Multi-State
• Control #: US-00440
• Format: Word; Rich Text

Description

This Boundary Line Agreement is used for parties who have disputed over the boundaries of a piece of real estate. The parties agree that by execution of this Agreement, they are quitclaiming their respective interests to the appropriate party on the other side of the dividing line. A surveyor's drawing of the disputed land and relative tracts of all parties should be attached for clarification.

The District of Columbia Boundary Line Agreement refers to a significant historical agreement that was reached between the states of Maryland and Virginia, and ultimately facilitated the establishment of the boundaries of the District of Columbia. This agreement, also known as the "Boundary Line Compact," was crucial in determining the precise limits and demarcation of the federal district that would become the seat of the United States government. The District of Columbia, commonly referred to as Washington, D.C., is a geographically unique region in the United States. Established by the United States Congress in 1790, the purpose of the district was to serve as the permanent capital of the nation and to be independent of any particular state or jurisdiction. The location chosen for the capital was a compromise between Northern and Southern states, as it was situated along the Potomac River, between the states of Maryland and Virginia. The process of determining the boundaries of the district came with several challenges and disagreements, primarily regarding the specific land area that would be ceded by Maryland and Virginia. The District of Columbia Boundary Line Agreement or Compact was thus formulated to address and resolve these disputes. The initial agreement, commonly known as the Original District of Columbia Boundary Line Agreement, was clinched on December 23, 1788, between Maryland and Virginia. It revolved around the provisions of the "Residence Act," passed by Congress, which authorized the establishment of a federal district along the Potomac River. According to this agreement, the southern and northeastern boundaries of the district were set. The southeastern boundary was identified as the Potomac River. However, the precise northern boundary remained undefined and caused further disagreements in the subsequent years. Amidst these disputes, several other boundary line agreements were established. The first supplemental agreement, commonly referred to as the Anatolia River Boundary Agreement, was signed on July 9, 1790. This agreement determined the eastern boundary of the District of Columbia and effectively accounted for the inclusion of the Anatolia River within the district's limits. The second major agreement, known as the Mount Vernon Square Boundary Agreement, was negotiated on March 3, 1791. It mainly dealt with the western boundary of the district. This agreement stipulated that a 100-foot-wide strip of land along the Virginia side of the Potomac River would be included in the District. It also set the boundary line from the Potomac to Rock Creek, defining the western limits of the federal territory. Despite these agreements, the specific northern boundary line was still subject to contention. It wasn't until January 30, 1792, that the Maryland and Virginia legislatures ratified the final agreement, commonly referred to as the Alexandria Estate Boundary Line Agreement. This agreement clarified and established the northern boundary line as it exists today, encompassing the present-day neighborhoods of Georgetown and Alexandria. Overall, the District of Columbia Boundary Line Agreements played a crucial role in resolving the complex issue of determining the precise boundaries of Washington, D.C. These agreements, including the Original, Anatolia River, Mount Vernon Square, and Alexandria Estate Boundary Line Agreements, provided the foundation for the establishment of the District of Columbia as a distinct federal territory separate from the jurisdictions of Maryland and Virginia.