What does the shelter rule do?

• A. The grantee gets the same title as the grantor and is protected as if they had title
• B. It prohibits transfers to multiple grantees
• C. It invalidates recordings
• D. It requires the grantor to deliver title to the grantee

Answer: (A)

The shelter rule is a protection for later buyers in a chain of title. If someone buys from a bona fide purchaser for value, that buyer can “shelter” under the prior purchaser’s good title and take title as if they had acquired it directly from the true owner. In other words, the grantee gets the same title the grantor had and is protected as if they held title themselves. This keeps the chain of title intact for good-faith buyers, even if earlier transfers in the chain were imperfect, so long as the buyer acted without notice and in good faith.