For the prior video in this series covering the English and Spanish influence on California real estate law, click here.
The first link in the chain of title
The Mexican-American War ended with the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Under the treaty, the United States agreed to acknowledge the existing land grants conveyed by the Spanish and Mexican governments.
The United States set up a land commission to document the validity of the land grants.
The land commission established land titles and created the chain of title
After confirmation of a valid land grant, the land was surveyed by the federal government and conveyed to the rightful owner by a United States patent deed.
All land not under a valid claim became part of the public domain of the United States.
In 1850, the United States granted part of the unclaimed real estate to the State of California. The balance was retained by the federal government.
The federal and state legislatures as well as local governments enact laws they have been authorized to by the United States Constitution or the California Constitution.
