Opinion ID: 2630648
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Grantor

Text: ¶ 23 The corrective warranty deed states: WHEREAS, Western Management, formerly a general partnership consisting of H. Fred Smith, Ronald W. Smith, Dale M. Minson, and Robert S. Halander; and Smith, Halander, Smith and Associates, a partnership, consisting of H. Fred Smith, Ronald W. Smith and Robert S. Halander (successor in interest to a portion of the property described in the amended legal description which is presently titled in the name of Smith, Halander, Smith and Associates) herein collectively are acting as grantors of their respective interests. A corrective warranty deed, in order to be effective, must be executed by the same grantor that executed the original warranty deed. [A] mistake in the description of the land conveyed may be corrected by a subsequent deed executed by the same grantor for the purpose of correcting the description and confirming in the grantee the title to the land intended to have been described in the prior deed[.] 23 Am.Jur.2d Deeds § 333 (1983). The former Western Management partners complied with this requirement, executing the deed on behalf of Western Management, as they had in the January 1982 warranty deed. Thus, the 1991 deed was executed by the same grantor as the January 1982 deed. Additionally, because the deed was signed by each member of the former partnership, each member effectively conveyed his individual interest in the property. Section 48-1-7 of the Utah Code provides in part that [w]here the title to real property is in the names of all the partners a conveyance executed by all the partners passes all their rights in such property. Utah Code Ann. § 48-1-7 (2002). [3] Although Arnold asserts that the members executed the deed only on behalf of their former partnership and did not convey their individual interests therein, such an interpretation of the deed would render the deed ineffective to accomplish its objective, which was to validate the easement which the parties had previously attempted to create and to correct the legal description of the easement. We will not presume that the members intended to perform a useless act but will construe the deed to give effect to the parties' intentions. See 26A C.J.S. Deeds § 170 (2001) (stating that an instrument intended to operate as a deed should be so contructed as to give it force and effect and to render it valid where possible).