Deed Legal Meaning and Definition

Here is a simplified definition of the legal term Deed.

Deed
noun, verb

1. Noun: A legal document that signifies ownership or interest in a property. It outlines details of the property as well as the identities of the grantor (the party transferring the property) and the grantee (the party receiving the property). This document must be signed by the grantor in the presence of a notary public to attest its execution. The deed must be recorded in the local land records office (County Recorder or Recorder of Deeds) to validate the transfer. Types of deeds include quitclaim deeds, which transfer only the grantor's actual interest in the property, and warranty deeds, which affirm that the grantor possesses the title. Deeds of trust, a variety of mortgage, are also deed types.
2. Verb: To transfer ownership of a property via a written deed.