An Abstract of Title is a condensed history of the legal ownership of a piece of land, including all conveyances, transfers, grants, wills, judicial proceedings, encumbrances, and liens, as well as evidence of satisfaction and other facts affecting the title.
A method of acquiring legal title to land through actual, continuous, open occupancy of the property for a prescribed period, under claim of right, opposed to the rights of the true owner.
Allodial refers to a system of land ownership where the property is owned freely and absolutely, without any obligation to a superior authority, nor subject to restrictions on alienation that existed under feudal law.
A bad title is a purported title that is legally insufficient to convey property to the purchaser. While a title that is not marketable isn't necessarily a bad title, a bad title is inherently unmarketable and purchasers are generally not compelled to accept it.
A boundary is an officially recognized and defined line that indicates the limits of a piece of property. It is often synonymous with the term 'property line' and is essential in real estate for establishing ownership, resolving disputes, and creating legal descriptions of land parcels.
A cadastre is a comprehensive register of the real property in a jurisdiction, which includes detailed information about property boundaries, land ownership, and the value of the land and its improvements. It is commonly used to determine the amount of tax assessed on each parcel of land.
Mineral rights are the privileges granted to an individual or entity to extract and profit from the sale of natural resources such as oil, gas, and other minerals located on or beneath the surface of a piece of land. These rights can be sold or leased separately from the ownership of the land itself.
A 'prescriptive right' refers to the entitlement to use and access a property based on continuous and historic use over a certain period, without the permission from the rightful owner. Typically recognized in property law, such rights can affect land ownership and usage disputes.
The term public domain refers to all lands and waters in the possession of the United States and the lands owned by individual state governments, which differ from privately owned lands and waters. It also includes all information that is free from copyright protection, making it available for public use without restriction.
The mode in which an individual holds an estate in land, impacting the legal rights and obligations associated with land use and ownership.
A Torrens Registration System is an organized method of land registration where a government registrar certifies the title's condition, making it easier to ascertain ownership and any encumbrances without extensive title searches.
