A list of owners of real property, in succession, from the original owner of the property through the present. Ownership throughout the chain is proven by recorded deeds, judgments in disputes regarding title and another other official document recording changes of ownership. Title insurance is usually purchased when acquiring real estate to protect against errors in the chain of title.
Law Dictionary – Alternative Legal Definition
A term applied metaphorically to the series of conveyances, or other forms of alienation, affecting a particular parcel of land, arranged consecutively, from the government or original source of title down to the present holder, each of the instruments included being called a “link.” Payne v. Markle, 89 111. 69.