True or False: If S purports to grant land to B with a warranty deed but has no title, the title passes automatically if S later acquires the land.

The statement is false. In the context of real estate transactions, a warranty deed provides certain guarantees from the grantor (in this case, S) to the grantee (B) about the title being conveyed. If S does not have title to the land at the time of the grant, the deed does not transfer any ownership interest in the property.

Even if S later acquires the title to the property, that does not retroactively confer title to B merely based on the fact that S later obtained it. The conveyance of real property must follow the legal principles that govern title transfer, and a lack of title at the time of the deed leaves B without legal claim to the property until S explicitly conveys title.

This doctrine ensures the protection of the grantee, as they are relying on S’s promise of ownership. Therefore, the essence of the warranty deed ultimately requires that the grantor must have valid title at the time of the transaction for the deed to be effective in transferring ownership.