Warranty Deed: Legal doc that conveys clear title

A warranty deed is a legal instrument that is used to transfer the title of a property from one person (grantor) to another (grantee). The most important feature of this deed is that here the grantor promises that the title is clear and free of liens. One major benefit of this deed is that it provides protection to you as the grantor warrants that he/she is the owner of the property and the property is free of outstanding liens.

There are 2 types of warranty deeds used for title transfer. They are:

1. General Warranty Deed:
This legal document guarantees that the grantor (or seller) is the legal owner of the property and no other person has an interest in the property, unless otherwise stated on the deed.

The guarantee offered in the General Deed is not limited to the time the grantor owned property. The grantor can be held liable for any title problems existing before they owned the property, as well as during ownership.

• How it protects the grantee -
  A General Deed includes 6 types of covenants (agreements between the parties involved) divided into the following categories:
  1. Present Covenant: This represents the grantor's promise that he has legaltitle and possession to the property. The grantor's promise that the title is clear and free of any liens is also part of this covenant.
  2. Future Covenant: This includes the grantor's promise to protect the grantee against any other person claiming title. In some states, this covenant protects the grantor's promise to provide the legal documents necessary to prove that the title passed by the deed is valid.
• When grantor is held liable -
  If the grantee finds out that someone else owns interest in property that was not listed in the title record, then they have the right to sue the grantor. If there is a defect in property-title such as a tax lien, mortgage claim, judgment, etc, then the grantee or buyer can hold the grantor or seller liable if the defect was not present in the title record.

2. Special or Limited Warranty Deed:

The Special/Limited or Statutory Warranty Deed does not offer as much protection as the General deed.

• How it protects the grantee -
  The deed conveys grantor's title to the grantee and protects the latter against title defects or claims arising only during the grantor's ownership. The grantor warrants that there are no liens on the property unless otherwise stated on the deed or present in the title record.

  The Special Warranty Deed allows the grantee or buyer to ask the grantor for compensation to fix problems with the property which actually originated during the grantor's ownership in the property if they are guaranteed by the grantor. If a defect in the condition of the property is not warranted in the deed or disclosed prior to closing, then the grantor is not liable for it.

The deed should provide the legal description of the property to be transferred. It should be drafted with respect in the state where the property is located. Moreover, the deed should be signed and witnessed by a notary. Check out a sample form given below in the Related References section.

The deed is delivered to the buyer at the time of closing. The buyer then records the deed at the County Recorder's office. The deed should be recorded within the specific period required by state law in order to be valid.

A Warranty Deed offers greater protection than a quitclaim deed. So, whether you're selling property or transferring it to a trust, this kind of deed can serve you the best. When purchasing property, the buyer should supplement the deed by purchasing title insurance policy. Both the deed and the policy can help protect the lender and the buyer against disputes concerning ownership or liens on property.