A brief account of all the deeds upon which the title to an estate rests. It provides a history for a parcel of land that lists ownership transfers as well as liabilities that may have bee attached to the property, such as a mortgage. See Brief of Title.
Law Dictionary – Alternative Legal Definition
A condensed history of the title to land, consisting of a synopsis or summary of the material or operative portion of all the conveyances, of whatever kind or nature, which in any manner affect said land, or any estate or interest therein, together with a statement of all liens, charges, or liabilities to which the same may be subject, and of which it is in any way material for purchasers to be apprised. An abstract is a condensation, epitome, or synopsis, and therein differs from a copy or a transcript. Dickinson v. Chesapeake & O. R, Co., 7 W. Va. 390, 413. Abundans cantela non nocet. Extreme caution does no harm. 11 Coke, 66. This principle is generally applied to the construction of instruments in which superfluous words have been inserted more clearly to express the Intention.