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History of and Other Families (o_f) from
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Washington County Pennsylvania History and Families
HOW TO DO A DEED TITLE SEARCH PAGE 2 - FAQ
HOW DO I DO A TITLE SEARCH MYSELF?
This contains some basic instructions
on how to do a title search.
-
You need a starting point to do a Deed Title Search.
Look up the person in the either the Grantor (seller) or Grantee (buyer) Deed Index (or start with a Deed you already
found). It is best to look in both indexes, but keep different lists
for each one (and remember that you want to follow ONE property at a time
only).
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Each Deed has:
- a "mets and bounds" section,
listing the neighbors and bordering properties.
- a "bought from"
statement
- possibly a statement of "this being the same land as recorded in
(book #)
Look for these:
-
The first line has a Grantor (seller; e.g. previous owner)
and Grantee (current buyer). Using the names of the previous
owner, now go back to the Grantor and Grantee Index. Look for the
previous owner BUYING the land - this previous owner will be in the GRANTEE
INDEX because they were BUYING the land. The last deed you read may
also contain a "this being the same land.." statement, which will
give you the next Deed Book # and maybe page number you need.
-
When you find that next deed (in this case, going backward
in time), look for the same points as in #2 above. Find the previous
owner's name. Be sure to read the entire Deed for a "previously
bought from" or "this being the same land as..."
statement. Repeat the same steps.
*TIP 1: Don't get confused by the words Grantor and
Grantee.
*TIP 2: Be sure you are following the same section of
land. It is also easy to get confused if someone owned several
properties-- always look at the (a) number of acres etc to see if it is the
same [or has been split] and (b) look at the description of mets and bounds
- the neighbor names should stay the same or mostly the same for some years,
since folks kept their lands a long time usually. *
*TIP 3: A Deed is NOT always recorded AT
the time of the sale, especially in the 1800s, or during the Civil War, or if
bought by family or close friends. I once kept ignoring a Deed because it
was 20 years past the year my ancestor died. BUT that was the EXACT DEED
that I needed! *TIP 4: Get Xerox Copies of EVERY Deed. Copy
ALL pages of EVERY Deed, even if the last page does not seem important.
The Dates on pages will be important! Signatures are important. TIP 5: If in doubt, write
down every entry for that person from the Grantor AND Grantee Index. This
way, if you miss one in the title search, you will have the Book number and Page
number. With these, you can request a copy through the mail. *TIP
6: The Recorder of Deeds or office workers might answer a few questions,
such as if you get confused in following a split property. But the workers
are not there to teach you how to do a title search. As well, you might
find a professional Title Searcher in the office who is willing to answer a few
questions--but they are often very, very busy! NEXT ARRANGE
THE DEEDS INTO CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER:
When
you *think* you have *all* the needed deeds, put them into the order of
ownership, making sure you look at the order of the years. You may need to
take your copies home -- and if you missed something, you may need to come back
too. Get a lined notebook or tablet. Make Columns for: Year Bought,
Seller's Name,
Buyer's Name,
Current Deed Book Number + Page Number,
total number of
acres/perches/rods given in the Deed,
Last Owner (same as seller usually)
and
that Deed Book Number + Page Number
Exact Date Recorded in the Deeds Office.
With Deeds put in year
order, fill in the information for your columns. If you realize you are missing a deed
-- leave room in your columns to add it in later.
*TIP 7: A property might have been split when sold, or split in
several sales. If your property splits, you will need to find the Deeds
for EACH section of land. This is called "following a deed" or
"following a split." When you write your columns on split
property, keep the deeds separate for each split.
*TIP 8: Study the Deeds. Re-read them over and over.
Transcribe the deeds word for word to help understand them better. Study your
columns. Make sure you have found every deed in the series. If you
get confused -- re-read them ALL. The more you read, the better you'll see
what you have missed.
Go to Index of FAQs
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