West Virginia Correction Deed

Use the correction deed to amend a previously recorded warranty, special warranty, or quitclaim deed.

A correction deed explains and corrects an error in a prior instrument. As such, it passes no title, but confirms the conveyance effected by the previously recorded document. It must be executed from the original grantor to the original grantee, and it must be recorded in order to be legally valid.

The correction deed should reference the prior conveyance by type of error, date of execution, date of recording, as well as by recording number and location. Beyond that, it restates the information given in the prior deed, thus serving as its confirmation. The original instrument remains on record as well.

Deeds of correction are most appropriate for minor errors and omissions in the original deed, such as misspelled names, omission of marital status, or typos in the legal description. If an error has the potential to cloud the title and affect its future transfer, recording a correction deed will help.

More substantial changes, such as adding a name to the title or adding/subtracting a portion of land to the legal description of the property, usually require a new deed of conveyance instead of a correction deed. When in doubt, seek legal counsel to determine which instrument is most appropriate for a case that involves a material change.

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