Investopedia states the following regarding an abstract of title: “A brief history of the titles for a piece of land. The abstract of title lists all of the legal actions that have been performed or used in conjunction with a piece of property. This is used to determine whether or not there is any kind of claim against a property.

The abstract of title includes transfers, grants, wills and conveyances, liens and encumbrances. It also provides any evidence or proof of satisfaction or other facts or information pertinent to a piece of property. All potential buyers of a property should request this to determine the status of the property.”