The title industry has its own language. Many of its words and idioms are derived from the language of the law while others are common words given special meaning related to land titles. There are also words and phrases coined over the years by the title industry itself.
Glossary
D
DOMINANT ESTATE
The property for the benefit of which a right of way easement exists across another’s adjoining piece of land is said to be the dominant estate. The land across which the easement runs is said to be the servient estate.
DOWER
A right which a wife has in her husband’s property effective at the time of his death. DRAW A partial advance of the proceeds of a construction loan mortgage, to which the borrower is entitled when construction reaches a certain specified stage.
DRESSER DRAWER TITLE
When an owner neglects to record his deeds and other real estate papers and places them instead in dresser drawers, or in a show box in a closet, or under the mattress, and there is nothing of record which shows any title in the supposed owner, his title is often referred to as a Dresser Drawer Title.
