The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1953-04-25
Joe And Jane
Get Certified
Abstract Before
Building Home
BY SUSAN McAvoY
Real Estate Editor

Real Estate Editor
Before Joe and Jane Key WesI
and their contractor Ed AmbIel
can start building on their KEY
West lot, and before they car
prove clear title to their lot, they
must have an abstract brought M
to date.
Into the maze of property abs.
tracts ] wandered last week guided
by Jesse M. Blow, Vice-presideni
of Land Title Company of Key
West. A veteran of 80 years. ex-
perience with these documents, he
patiently explained to 4me the who,
why, when, what and where of
titles.
An abstract is a history of the
title to the lot, setting out any
deeds, leases, mortgages, or such
instruments affecting the title q.
e. ownership of that lot.
In Key West every lot must be
traced back to the original base
title, = the grant of Don Juan Es-
trada, Governor of East Florida,
to Juan p. SalaS, dated August 2,
1915, and filed January %, 1922.
Suppose that Joe and Jane Key
West had bought Lot /, Square "a,
at the corner of Thomas and An
gela Street.
Today's seller would give them
an abstract of that lot, going back
to Estrada, the original seller.
Though law doesn't require this
fat documented history be given
by the seller to the buyer, it is a
well entrenched custom.
Now any lot in Key West is
traced back to the Big Four own
ers of Key West: Pardon C. Greene
John w. Simonton, j. w. C. Flem-
ing, and William C. Whitehead.
The four American owners divi-
ded up the Island by a drawing.
That means each block in the city
of Key West, that area from Front
Street to Angela, was divided four
ways. The rest of the Island was
divided into tracts.
Lot /, Square 81, at the corner
of Thomas and Angela Streets is
traced back to the Greene chain.
When Joe and Jane wens
through their abstract, they saw
HetfY Greene was decided some
Of the land as the wife Of Pardon
c. Greene.
immediately they thought that
the famous financial wizard Hdt.
~ Green had been one Of the
early owners Of their lot. This
mistake has been made by many
eager title searehers.
Actually the famed female fin.
ancier of the 10Th century spelled
her name without an "e'' on the
end of Green. She was a New
and was never, accord |
ing to the Encyclopedia Ameri- |
cana, married to Pardon C. |
Greene of Key West. That was a |
little side research did to stop |
friends from suggesting to me,
why don't you do an article on |
Hetty Green's days in Key West?"
The Hetty Green never lived |
here. Pardon's wife Hetty Greene /
did live here, and was a busy lady |
With her husbands property, deed
ing it to this one and that In the
l830'S, and later.
Back to 1858, however, and Joe
and Jane Key West who have got.
.en a VA direct loan of $40, 900
With which to build their dream
house. They were given an abs
.ract to their property by the sci.
er. Then II was their task 10 have
ne Title Company bring the abs
ract up to date to show their deed
Ind any other matters additional
hereto. The abstract is certified
Is to the records in the offices Of
he Clerks of the Circuit and Fed
raj Courts, and other public of.
ices. and signed by the Land
Title Company Of Key West.
Now Joe and Jane cannot find
'ut from Mr.. Blow, or any Of his
assistants. If the title as shown BY
he abstract is good or bad. That
$ not the province Of the Abstract
Department Of the company. That