transferring ownership

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Hello, my hobbies are shopping at estate sales, yard sales, thrift stores, and storage auctions looking to find things of value. As a little girl I always believed in that saying one man trash is the next man treasure. With one of my purchases I purchased old paperwork that contained original grant and warranty deeds along with the assessors property paid taxes receipts of the property. The owner/s are deceased they have no heirs, wills or trust. The property is acres of vacant land and has never gone through probate and is still of clear title. I have copies of the death certificates of the owners. I am looking to get assistance with transferring ownership in my name. I am also looking for an investor/s that will be willing to invest with a developmental project of the property.

[Rick H.]

Welcome to the BP discussion forums.

A popular misconception that many people have is that possession of a physical deed has benefits, including ownership. 

This is not true. 

A deed is merely a paper used to memorialize a transfer between parties. Once recorded it's job has been done.

Legally, recordation is not a necessity, however in our 'race to record' State (CA) it is evidence of an intended transfer of rights.

Besides having legal and equitable ownership, and being in the recorded chain of title, two things have to occur: 1) delivery, and 2) acceptance. 

This means the grantor named the (intended) grantee and delivered it to same, and that the grantee did, in fact, accept it. 

It may be very exciting and cool-looking document.

However, If you aren't in the chain of title and was not the intended recipient of the deed, aka the grantee, you possess a document evidencing someone else's transaction.