Property Ownership
In Pennsylvania, 'title by descent' means property passed through:
AA devise in a will
BIntestate succession — state law determining heirs when there is no will✓ Correct
CAdverse possession over time
DA sheriff's sale in foreclosure
Explanation
Title by descent passes from a deceased person to their heirs under Pennsylvania's intestate succession laws when the decedent dies without a valid will. The heirs receive title based on their relationship to the deceased (spouse, children, parents, siblings) according to statutory priority.
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Key Terms to Know
Adverse Possession
A doctrine by which a person can gain legal title to another's land by openly, continuously, and adversely occupying it for a statutory period.
Title InsuranceInsurance protecting against financial loss from defects in a property's title that existed before closing but were unknown at the time of purchase.
Joint TenancyCo-ownership where two or more people hold equal, undivided interests with the right of survivorship — when one owner dies, their share passes to the surviving owners.
DeedA written legal instrument used to transfer ownership of real property from one party (grantor) to another (grantee).
State-Specific Concepts
DRE Regulation
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