United States Deeds

United States Land and Property

A deed is the written legal document transferring ownership of property. Generally county offices have the jurisdiction for the recording of deeds except for Connecticut, Vermont, and Rhode Island, which kept deeds in the town records.

Be aware that deed books contain a variety of records relating to property, not just land. Deed books might contain mortgages, leases, the sale or manumission of slaves, bills of sale, powers of attorney, indentures, adoptions, livestock brands, wills, apprentice papers, tax lists, and other miscellaneous documents.

Parts of a land deed

 * Date of land sale and date of recording
 * Names of grantor (seller) and grantee (buyer)
 * Granting clause, specifying the interest being transferred and consideration
 * Property description
 * Recital clause, if present, states how the seller got the land
 * Warranty section, stating how the seller will be liable to the buyer in case of later problems with the land
 * Execution Section containing acknowledgements, seals, and signatures

Cautions

 * Deed books are copies of the original documents so are in the clerk's handwriting, or typed. Seals and signatures aren't the originals.
 * The deed might not have been officially recorded until property, especially land, was distributed to parties outside of the immediate family. Therefore, deeds might be found recorded decades after the original owner died.