The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1908-11-01
LAW FOR THE FARM.
Torrens System-Joint Deeds.

illegal inquiries will be answered
in this column, but those who want
an immediate answer should send 81
to Law Department, this office.-Jo'
seph r. Anderson.)
Your alert manager, Mr.. Fowler,
quick to scent an item of interest for
The Ranch circle, when a law column
was spoken of, requested me to try
my hand.
l feel at home in this company, for
|. too was born in the Mississippi Val.
ley and came from the state that was
proud to be least in illiteracy So my
audience is sifted by the energy re-
quired in leaving our old home.
Torrens System.
In common with our ballot, the Tor
rens law originated in Australia in
1857. 1t legalized the old English idea
that the deed was the titIe-that |
had no right to sell my farm to you
unless | could produce and pass to you
the deed conveying the land to me.
The present condition in the United
States has so changed that the auditor
files anything offered, even though it
be forged ded, or from a stranger
to the title.
So deeds are only evidence-some-
times weak and worthle ss-that | own
the property described.
Thus the abstract business devel-
Oped for the purpose of furnishing a
history OF previous ownership, so that
a trained mind might guess as to
whether you owned what you had paid
for, and it became costly to buy alb
stracts and legal opinions.
To meet these conditions the Tor
rens system of registration of land
titles has been adopted in Illinois,
Massachusetts, Ohio, Colorado, Mime
sofa, California, Oregon and by the
1907 Washington Legislature, as well.
The law has been sustained by the
supreme courts in each state except
Ohio, and her failure was caused by
the attempt to give the county record
er judicial powers.
In our state the certificate is issued
after an examination of your abstract
by bonded examiner and judgment
of the superior court quieting your
title against the world.
In King County, one of our best land
title men. Hon. H. H. A. Hastings,
has been appointed as official exam
liner. On September %, 1908, Judge
Morris passed on the statute and sus-
tanned it's constitutionality.
Based on court action, you re ceive
a certificate from the State of Wash
ington~ that you own the described
land free and clear of all encum-
ORANGES except such as are endorsed
thereon. When this insured certif-
icate of title is received the owner
must personally sign and acknowledge
a receipt for the same, and this Of
fetal signature is the only one that
will be recognized in transfer.
When you wish to sell all or part,
the certificate does away with the
necessity for a duplicate abstract or
a continuance, for the original is
safely kept on file in the county
clerks office, where it can always be
referred to.
Our experience has been that buy
ers accept the certified title without
the delay and expense of new attor-
ney's opinion on every transfer.
Up to October %, 1908, in King
County, there have been IL original
and 81 transfer certificates issued. In
Chicago, County of Cook, up to No
vember 80, 1905, 1859 applications had
been received and the total collec-
lions were in 1903, 1924; in 1904,
$S,517; in 1905, $13,488. So this sane
law seems to have attained deserved
popularity.
Joint Deeds.
The Sullivan estate squabbles show
us again: First-The uncertainty of
wills; second, the all devouring habit
of an extended probate proceeding;
third, the avoidance of the dead mans
probable intentions.
The State of Washington passed
L., LIZ ha