Legal Definitions - grantee

A grantee is the individual or entity that receives an ownership interest in real estate. This transfer of interest can occur through various means, such as a purchase, a gift, or as part of an estate distribution. Essentially, the grantee is the recipient of property rights from another party, known as the "grantor."

Here are some examples to illustrate the concept of a grantee:

• Example 1: Home Purchase

  Imagine David decides to purchase a new house in a suburban neighborhood. After agreeing on the price and completing all necessary legal and financial steps, the previous owner signs a deed transferring ownership to David.

  In this scenario, David is the grantee because he is the person receiving the ownership interest in the house through a sale from the previous owner (the grantor).

• Example 2: Gifting Land

  Consider a situation where an elderly grandmother, Mrs. Rodriguez, wants to give a small plot of undeveloped land she owns to her granddaughter, Sofia, as a birthday gift. Mrs. Rodriguez executes a deed that legally transfers the land to Sofia without any money changing hands.

  Here, Sofia is the grantee because she is the individual receiving the ownership interest in the real property (the land) as a gift from her grandmother.

• Example 3: Property Transfer from a Trust

  Suppose the "Greenwood Family Trust" owns several rental properties. The trust document specifies that upon the youngest beneficiary reaching the age of 25, one of these properties is to be transferred directly to that beneficiary, Michael.

  Michael becomes the grantee when the trust legally transfers the ownership interest of the rental property to him, as he is the recipient of the real estate from the trust (the grantor).