Real estate title glossary
What is deed in trust?
Also called: land trust
Definition
A deed in trust conveys property to a trustee to hold under a trust agreement; in Illinois land trusts the beneficiary's name does not appear in the public record.
Land trusts are common in Cook County. The trustee, often a bank, holds record title while the beneficiary controls the property.
How it shows up in a title search
A search follows the trustee as owner of record; judgments against the hidden beneficiary may not appear against the parcel.
Guides that go deeper
- Cook County Deed Search: How to Look Up a Deed by Address, Name or PINHow to search Cook County deeds by address, name or PIN with the County Clerk, what copies cost, what the records cover, and what a deed search cannot tell you.
- How to Find Out Who Owns a Property, and Prove ItFind the owner of any property from official records: the assessor gives the owner of record, the recorded deed proves it. Where to look, and why the two disagree.
- Transfer on Death Deed: How It Works, What It Skips and How It Shows in the RecordA transfer on death deed passes real estate to a named beneficiary at the owner's death without probate. What the Texas and Arizona statutes require, and the traps.
Related terms
Source: Legal Information Institute, Wex: trust. Plain-English summary of general US usage; state law varies, and this is not legal advice.