2018 Oklahoma Statutes
Title 16. Conveyances
§16-62. Purchasers for value of real estate - Reliance upon status of title as reflected by county records and by decrees and judgements of courts.

(a) Any purchaser for value acquiring an interest in real estate from one who claims such interest, immediately or remotely, under a conveyance of record for ten (10) or more years in the records of the county wherein the land is located prior to such purchase shall acquire a valid and marketable title to such interest as against any person claiming adversely to such recorded conveyance for any of the following reasons: (1) that such conveyance was executed by an incompetent person, unless the county court records in the county wherein the land is located, or the county records therein, reflect the appointment of a guardian prior to said deed, or a judicial determination of the incompetency of the grantor, in which event Sections 61 through 66 of this title shall not apply, (2) that such conveyance was executed by a corporation to an officer thereof, which fact may or may not appear on the face of the deed, without proper authority therefor being had by the officers executing said conveyance, (3) that such conveyance was executed by an attorney in fact under a recorded power of attorney which power had terminated by reason of matters not affirmatively shown in the county records, or (4) that such conveyance was never delivered; Provided, however, this section shall not apply as against such person claiming adversely to any such conveyance for any of the foregoing reasons if prior to such purchase, or within one (1) year from October 27, 1961, the effective date of Sections 61 through 66 of this title, or from the effective date of Section 62, as amended, of this title, whichever later occurs, such person shall have filed of record in the county wherein the land is located a notice setting forth his claim and the basis thereof; and provided, further, that this section shall not apply as against any person in possession of the land either by occupancy or by occupancy of a tenant at the time such purchaser acquires his interest.

(b) Any purchaser for value acquiring an interest in real estate from one who claims such interest, immediately or remotely, by or through a conveyance from one purporting therein to be a guardian, executor, or administrator, which conveyance has been of record for ten (10) or more years in the county wherein said land is located prior to such purchase, and which conveyance either has the approval of the court endorsed upon it, or has been confirmed by an order of the court, shall acquire a valid and marketable title to such interest to the full extent that such conveyance purports to convey the same as against any of the following persons: (1) any ward or wards named in said conveyance, his or their heirs, devisees, representatives, successors, or assigns, (2) the State of Oklahoma or any other person claiming under the estate of any decedent named in said conveyance, the heirs, devisees, or representatives of such decedent, their successors, or assigns, or any creditors of said decedent; Provided, however, that this section shall not apply to any person mentioned in (1) or (2) above who for any reason claims adversely to such conveyance, or contends that such conveyance did not divest him of his interest as purported by such conveyance if prior to such purchase, or within one (1) year from October 27, 1961, the effective date of Sections 61 through 66 of this title, or from the effective date of Section 62, as amended, of this title, whichever is the later, such person shall file of record in the county wherein the land is located a notice setting forth his claim and the basis thereof; Provided, further, this section shall not apply as against any person in possession of the land, by occupancy or by occupancy of a tenant, at the time such purchaser acquires his interest.

(c) Any purchaser for value acquiring an interest in real estate from one who claims such interest, immediately or remotely, by or through (1) any decree of distribution or of partition in a decedent's estate entered by and of record in a court of the county wherein the land is located for a period of ten (10) years prior to such purchase, or (2) any such decree entered by a court for any county in this state which decree has been of record in the county wherein the decree was entered or in the deed records of any county or counties in which any part of the land or lands is located for a period of ten (10) years prior to such purchase, shall acquire a valid and marketable title to such interest as against any claim or interest of the estate of said decedent or any heir or devisee, his successors or assigns, of said decedent or any creditors of said decedent; Provided, however, this section shall not apply if prior to such purchase, or within one (1) year from October 27, 1961, the effective date of Sections 61 through 66 of this title, or from the effective date of Section 62, as amended, of this title, whichever later occurs, such heirs, devisee, or representative of such estate files of record in the county wherein the land is located a notice setting forth the nature of his claim; Provided, further, this section shall not apply as against any person claiming adversely to such decree who is in possession of the land by occupancy or by occupancy of a tenant, at the time said purchaser acquires his interest.

(d) Any purchaser for value acquiring an interest in real estate from one who claims such interest, immediately or remotely, by or through any of the following muniments: (1) a sheriff's or marshal's deed executed pursuant to an order of a court having jurisdiction over the land affected confirming a judicial sale or directing the issuance of such deed, (2) any final judgment of a court having jurisdiction over the land affected determining and adjudicating the ownership of such land or any interest therein or partitioning same, (3) any conveyance by a receiver executed pursuant to an order of any court having jurisdiction and directing issuance thereof or directing a sale of such land or any interest therein, (4) any conveyance executed by a trustee or purported trustee referring to a trust agreement or referring to named beneficiaries or otherwise indicating the existence of an express trust where the trust agreement has not been recorded in the county where the land is situated, (5) a purported certificate tax deed or resale tax deed executed by the county treasurer of the county wherein the land is located; which muniment, if a conveyance has been of record in the county wherein the land is situated for a period of ten (10) years prior to such purchase, or, if a judgment has been entered for a period of ten (10) years prior to such purchase and, where such judgment is entered by a court outside the county where the land affected is located, has been recorded in the records of the court clerk or county clerk of the county in which such land is located, shall acquire a valid and marketable title to such interest as against the claims of the following: (A) any person or the heirs, devisees, personal representatives, successors or assigns of such person who was named as a defendant in the judgment preceding the sheriff's or marshal's deed referred to in subparagraph (1) above and whose rights or claims were not preserved by the terms of such judgment and who claims an interest by reason of any defect, jurisdictional or otherwise, in the proceedings resulting in such judgment, (B) any person or the heirs, devisees, personal representatives, successors or assigns of such person who was named as a defendant in the judgment referred to under subparagraph (2) above and whose rights or claims were not preserved by the terms of such judgment and who claims an interest by reason of any defect, jurisdictional or otherwise, in the proceedings resulting in such judgment, (C) any person or the heirs, devisees, personal representatives, successors or assigns of such person who was named as a defendant or owner or party in interest in the proceedings referred to in subparagraph (3) above, (D) any person or the heirs, devisees, personal representatives, successors or assigns of such person who claims as a settlor, trustee or beneficiary or by, through or under such settlor, trustee or beneficiary of the trust referred to in subparagraph (4) above, (E) any and all owners or claimants of such land or interest therein whose ownership or claim originated prior to such deeds as are referred to in subparagraph (5) above and the heirs, devisees, personal representatives, successors or assigns of such owners or claimants; Provided, however, this section shall not apply as against any such person claiming adversely to such muniments set forth hereinabove if prior to such purchase, or within one (1) year from October 27, 1961, the effective date of Sections 61 through 66 of this title, or from the effective date of Section 62, as amended, of this title, whichever later occurs, such person shall have filed of record in the records of the county wherein the land is located a notice setting forth his claim and the basis thereof; Provided, further, that this section shall not apply against any person claiming adversely to such muniment who is in possession of the land by occupancy or by occupancy of a tenant at the time said purchaser for value acquires his interest. The State of Oklahoma and its political subdivisions or a public service corporation or transmission company which has facilities of service installed on, over, across or under any part of the land shall, to that extent, be deemed to be in possession thereof for purposes of the foregoing provision.

Laws 1961, p. 192, § 2; Laws 1973, c. 184, § 1, operative Oct. 1, 1973.