If a deed is signed by the grantor but not by the grantee, what is the status of the deed?

A deed that is signed by the grantor but not by the grantee is considered valid. The essential requirement for a deed to be valid in most jurisdictions, including North Carolina, is that it must be signed by the grantor, who is the party conveying the interest in the property. The absence of the grantee's signature does not affect the validity of the deed itself; rather, it mainly affects the grantee's ability to record the deed and assert ownership against third parties.

To elaborate, once a deed is executed by the grantor, it conveys the property according to the terms outlined within it. The absence of the grantee's signature means that they have not formally accepted the deed, but this does not negate the conveyance that has already taken place. The grantee's acceptance of the deed can be understood as implied if they act upon the deed by taking possession of the property, but formal acceptance is not a requirement for the deed's validity.

In contrast, the notion of a deed being invalid would imply that it could not convey any interest in the property, which is not the case here. This is also why the concepts of conditionality and revocability do not apply in this situation; the deed does not have conditional language