Purchasing property can be a very exciting time in your life, but the process can trip up a buyer or a seller who is not careful. As real estate lawyers in Mobile, Alabama we assist clients with their real estate transactions. We have over 30 years of experience helping people meet their real estate needs. This is a brief discussion of some of the general requirements regarding the conveyance of real property through deeds in the State of Alabama
In the State of Alabama, the three most common types of deeds used to convey real property are:
1) general warranty deed
2) statutory warranty deed
3) quitclaim deed
The general warranty deed gives the purchaser the most complete warranty of title a seller can provide. A statutory warranty deed provides a more narrow warranty to the purchaser. A statutory warranty deed in effect warrants only that the title to the real property has not been affected while the seller owned the real property. A quitclaim deed passes only the interest in the real property owned by the seller. A quitclaim deed does not offer the purchaser any warranty of title.
Alabama Code Section 35-4-20 provides that any instruments that convey real estate adhere to several requirements. Any deed must include both the address and the name of the attorney that prepares the deed. The deed must also reflect the grantees address. The instrument must be executed and witnessed or notarized and identify the grantee with certainty. The State and County in which the real property being conveyed is located must be stated in the upper left hand corner of the instrument and the State and County of execution should be stated above the notary acknowledgment. The instrument must be delivered to the grantee with evidence of the grantor’s present intent to divest title that is rebuttably presumed upon the physical delivery; the instrument must contain a sufficient legal description of the land being conveyed.
A conveyance of real property by an individual grantor should contain the grantor’s marital status. However, the spouse of the individual grantor only needs to sign the instrument of conveyance if the property is the Grantor’s homestead. The preparer should include a recital that the property being conveyed is not the grantor’s homestead if the grantor’s spouse is not signing the instrument of conveyance.
In Mobile there is now an additional form that the Mobile County Probate Court requires before a deed will be accepted for recordation. The Court uses this form to verify value for recording tax purposes.
For any instrument conveying real property in Alabama there is a requirement for one witness to sign the instrument. In the event that the grantor cannot write, two witnesses are required to sign the instrument. It is beneficial to have a notary acknowledgment on the instrument because it serves as a witness and makes the instrument self-proving when recorded. If the instrument is notarized, an Alabama statutory acknowledgment form should be used. Any instrument conveying real property should be recorded in the county where the real property is located and should include the address for tax notices to be sent to and the name and address of the person to whom the deed should be forwarded after recording.
The deed conveying real property is an important document and should be carefully reviewed. It is but one step in a real estate transaction. The legal description should be carefully reviewed. It is often advisable to order a current survey to verify the legal description. Deeds often retain mineral rights to the seller or an individual they have previously been transferred to. Conveyances are often made subject to restrictions of record. Examples of these restrictions are easements and subdivision restrictions (which may restrict your use of the property by prohibiting such things as storage sheds or parking a boat in the driveway). We as real estate lawyers can help you understand the restrictions and the effect of the deed you will receive when you buy a piece of real estate.