In Delaware, which party has superior interest when a deed is recorded?

In Delaware, the party who records the deed first establishes a superior interest in the property. This principle is rooted in the "race to the courthouse" concept, which prioritizes the rights of claimants based on the timing of their filing. When a deed is recorded, it provides public notice of the ownership transfer, thus protecting the interests of the recording party against subsequent claims.

By recording the deed, the first party effectively solidifies their legal claim to the property, and this claim cannot be easily overridden by future dealings or interests, assuming there are no competing recorded interests. The other options do not confer this kind of recognized priority in the context of property law. For instance, the previous owner typically no longer has a claim once a deed is executed and recorded, the party with the highest offer does not automatically secure an interest without a corresponding recording, and filing a lis pendens merely indicates a pending legal action and does not establish superior ownership rights in terms of recorded property interests.