This was explained to me when my with went to pick up the settlement check, a few hundred thousand, at the lawyers home.

Family finances: My father in law passed away soon after we married, my mom in law retired, and with life insurance, an insurance settlement, and super saving throughout their lives, she was sitting on a pile of cash, and anxious to get into real estate.

In this case the title to the property is transferred at settlement.

Priority Settlement Group of Texas is the name of title company.

The settlement statement has to reflect the 1031 exchange. 

Yes I'm saying penny pinch.Negotiate seller to pay owner and seller title and settlement costs, often they don't understand when those boxes are checked. 

They insured would not collect the full replacement settlement, but some percentage of it and then they can do what they want with the property.

Have seller sign over insurance settlement?  

It sounds like the problem may be with the Assessor's office and not the settlement agent. 

And yeah, asking for assignment of a deal is a very strange settlement term.