There is a common misconception among lawyers that a deed conveys title to real property. It does not. One may obtain a perfectly good deed, a deed which conforms to every legal requirement, and still fail to obtain any title whatsoever.

Why so? It’s because a deed is merely a conduit. When signed and delivered, deeds merely consign to the grantee the grantor’s title to the land, whatever that title might be. If it turns out the grantor had no title then the grantee gets nothing.