gap in title

gap in title

A break in the chain of title, as when one finds a deed into party A, and then later a deed out of party B,with never any more claims or deeds from party A.

Example: You see a deed into Ralph and Anna Brown in 1974, but no deed out of their names. On the other hand, the same property suddenly has a deed in 1985 from “Anna B. and Thad Morton” to Mirriam Waites, but you can't find a deed into Anna B. and Thad Morton. This is a gap in title. Most likely, Ralph Brown died and his widow, Anna Brown, married Thad Morton, but you will need additional research to clarify this.