[WSBARP] Chain of Title Question

Mark Anderson marka at mbaesq.com
Mon Sep 21 12:02:06 PDT 2026


Dear All:
Question summary: Does ownership of real property improvements (and not the real property itself) require an unbroken chain of title?
Background: Husband and Wife owned a cabin located on property leased by the US Forest Service.  The USFS permit was in Husband's name.  Husband died.  Husband's Will provided that all of his Estate was to be transferred into a Revocable Living Trust of which Husband and Wife were the Trustors.  No document was ever recorded that transferred Husband's interest in the cabin into the Trust.
Later, while Wife was still alive, Husband and Wife's Son executed a document that purportedly transferred all of Wife's interest in the cabin to the Trust under a Power of Attorney.  As was the case with Husband, it appears that no document was ever recorded to give effect this transfer.  Wife subsequently died.
Son, as Successor Trustee of the Trust, has executed and is preparing to record a Bill of Sale from the Trust to a Beneficiary of the Trust.  USFS has already issued its permit to the Beneficiary.
Does Son need to any record documents that evidence of transfer of ownership of the cabin from Husband and from Wife into the Trust?  Or would chain of title to the cabin not really be an issue for subsequent owners?
In advance, thanks for your input here.
Mark B. Anderson
ANDERSON LAW FIRM PLLC
821 Dock Street, Suite 209, PMB 4-12
Tacoma, Washington 98402
+1 253-327-1750
+1 253-327-1751 (fax)
marka at mbaesq.com<mailto:marka at mbaesq.com>
www.mbaesq.com<http://www.mbaesq.com/>
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