Legal Definitions - string of title

The term "string of title," also commonly referred to as "chain of title," describes the complete historical record of ownership transfers for a specific piece of property, most often real estate. It is a chronological sequence of legal documents—such as deeds, wills, and court orders—that show how ownership has passed from one entity to another over time, from the current owner all the way back to the original owner or a designated starting point. This unbroken sequence is crucial for proving that the current seller has the legal right to transfer ownership and that there are no hidden claims or encumbrances on the property.

• Example 1: Residential Home Purchase

  A young couple is purchasing their first home. Before they finalize the sale, their lender and attorney conduct a title search. This search reveals that the house was built in 1975, sold to the first family in 1976, then to a second family in 1998, and finally to the current sellers in 2015. The "string of title" in this scenario is the documented progression of these four ownership transfers, demonstrating a clear and continuous line of ownership from the original builder to the current sellers. This assures the buyers that the sellers legally own the property and can transfer it to them.

• Example 2: Commercial Land Development

  A real estate developer plans to acquire a large tract of land to build a new shopping center. To ensure the acquisition is sound, their legal team meticulously investigates the "string of title" for the entire parcel. They discover that the land was originally part of a vast agricultural estate, then subdivided and sold to a timber company in the 1940s, later acquired by a municipal utility district in the 1970s, and finally sold to a private investment group in the 2000s. The developer needs to verify each of these transfers, including any easements or rights-of-way granted along the way, to confirm that the investment group holds clear title to the entire property and that no previous owners or their heirs retain any claims.

• Example 3: Inherited Property Dispute

  An elderly woman inherits a historic family farm that has been passed down through generations. A distant cousin suddenly emerges, claiming a partial ownership interest based on an old family will from the 1930s. To defend her full ownership, the woman's lawyers must reconstruct the "string of title" for the farm, going back several decades. They would examine old deeds, probate records, and court documents to demonstrate that all previous transfers, inheritances, and settlements were legally executed, thereby establishing an unbroken and valid line of ownership that definitively vests full title in the elderly woman, excluding the cousin's claim.