Real estate title glossary
What is trustee's deed?
Definition
A trustee's deed transfers property out of a trust, or, in deed-of-trust states, conveys a foreclosed property to the buyer at a trustee's sale.
The two uses are different: one is an ordinary sale by the trustee of a living trust; the other ends a nonjudicial foreclosure in states such as Texas and Arizona.
How it shows up in a title search
A foreclosure trustee's deed usually wipes out junior liens; a search confirms the sale notices and that the trustee had authority.
Guides that go deeper
- Deed of Trust vs Mortgage: Differences, Foreclosure and What It Means in Texas and ArizonaA mortgage has two parties. A deed of trust adds a trustee with a power of sale. How the two differ, and what the Texas and Arizona statutes say about sales.
- Deed of Reconveyance: What It Is, Who Issues It and How to Confirm It Was RecordedA deed of reconveyance returns title from the trustee after a deed of trust is paid. Who issues it, CA and AZ deadlines, and what to do if it is missing.
- Sheriff Sale: How It Works and What Happens to Liens AfterwardA sheriff sale is a court-ordered public auction of property. How it works, what happens to liens, and how to find sheriff's deeds (2,235 in Philadelphia).
Related terms
Source: Legal Information Institute, Wex: deed of trust. Plain-English summary of general US usage; state law varies, and this is not legal advice.