Legal Question in Real Estate Law in California

Re: property ownership

Only if your name is on title or you've inherited it, somehow. If you think you should own it, you should retain an attorney in Cook County and file a quiet title action.

Re: property ownership

No; possession of a deed in and of itself is meaningless. A deed is not like a certificate of title. It is just a one-use instrument used to transfer title. It does not establish ownership. I can sell property without producing a deed showing that I own it. When I buy property and record the deed, I can throw the deed away.

First, ask yourself if the deed shows you as the grantee. The person named as grantee in the deed might be the owner, or perhaps once was.

A lot may have happened since 1920. The person named as grantee in the deed may have (probably has) died, or sold or given the property to someone else.

Where is the property? Chicago Title is a national company, and has offices all over California.