Equitable Title

Equitable title refers to the right to obtain full ownership of property (legal title), usually after fulfilling conditions like paying off a mortgage or contract.

• You usually hold equitable title if:
  • You’re buying property on contract (installment land contract)
  • You have a beneficial interest in a trust
  • You’re a buyer under a mortgage or deed of trust

So if there’s a lien on your equitable interest, it’s a claim against your beneficial interest, not necessarily against full legal title (though the two are closely related in practice).