A Short Glossary of Title Terms 

Here are some key terms specifically used when dealing with property title: 

•Deed: A formal written document that transfers a title to a new owner and serves as proof of ownership. Although often used interchangeably with “title,” the term “deed” refers to a physical document.
•Heir: A person who, either through a will or through intestacy, has a legal claim to a deceased person’s property.
•Intestacy: State law governing distribution of the property of a person who dies without a will.
•Lien: A legal claim against a property that functions as collateral for debt.
•Personal representative: The modern label for the person responsible for settling an estate and carrying out the provisions of a will, if one exists. It encompasses the terms “executor”/“executrix,” formerly used when there was a will, and “administrator”/“administratrix,” which were used when there was not.
•Probate: The legal process of administering an estate after someone dies. Legally, the term “probate”
applies only to estates that involve a will, and the term “estate administration” applies to those without one.
•Record owner: A person or other legal entity named on the deed recorded with the Department of Records.
•Title: The legal right to ownership of a property.