(1) Real property may be described by giving the subdivision according to the United States survey when coincident with the boundaries thereof, or by lots, blocks and addition names, or by giving the boundaries thereof by metes and bounds, or by reference to the book and page of any public record of the county where the description may be found, or by designation of tax lot number referring to a record kept by the assessor of descriptions of real properties of the county, which record shall constitute a public record, or in any other manner as to cause the description to be capable of being made certain. Initial letters, abbreviations, figures, fractions and exponents, to designate the township, range, section, or part of a section, or the number of any lot or block or part thereof, or any distance, course, bearing or direction, may be employed in any description of real property.

(2) If the owner of any land is unknown, the land may be assessed to "unknown owner," or "unknown owners." If the property is correctly described, no final assessment shall be invalidated by a mistake in the name of the owner of the real property assessed or by the omission of the name of the owner or the entry of a name other than that of the true owner. Where the name of the true owner, or the owner of record, of any parcel of real property is given, the final assessment shall not be held invalid on account of any error or irregularity in the description if the description would be sufficient in a deed of conveyance from the owner, or is such that, in a suit to enforce a contract to convey, employing such description a court of equity would hold it to be good and sufficient.

(3) Any description of real property which conforms substantially to the requirements of this section shall be a sufficient description in all proceedings of assessment relating or leading to a final assessment for a local improvement, foreclosure and sale of delinquent assessments, and in any other proceeding related to or connected with levying, collecting and enforcing final assessments for special benefits to the property. [1959 c.219 §1; 1965 c.282 §4; 1971 c.198 §1; 1991 c.902 §36]