You wrote: | "Anyway, although the lessons on the following website will not answer ALL of | your questions regarding land, it may broaden your knowledge of land records." | Mr. Wallace. Your comments are very well-taken and to the point, particularly as to the influence of the early Spanish and French ("Civil Law") in the law of the South, Southwest and California. Then too, your comments about the absolute necessity that we all examine land records and ALL other courthouse materials is equally important. However, the words found at the URL you cited, NOT having been a part of your accurate comments, demand remark. That writer said, "Remember, also, that the sole purpose of land records is to convey a clear title to a piece of property from one holder to another...." That remark is basically quite in error. Indeed, while original deeds, mortgages, etc., surely do so, "land records" convey NO land title whatever to anybody. A search of the myriad deeds, mortgages, liens of all sorts, and the many other records of judgments and transfers of such as partial interests, sherriffs' deeds and courts' orders affecting ownership, all of which - and more - are an integral and vital part of all land transactions, reveal to the world the present legal status of virtually all land within that county or territory and provide the fundamental and vital information needed by such as the courts, tax assessors - local and at all other levels - who must assess whoever for whatever amount the law of the moment requires. To mention of but one more of the many purposes served by those records, we need but look to the needs of such as surveyors, real estate dealers, and sheriffs when questions of locations, descriptions or names of owners are needed. Your own advice was much better than that cited. Paul