History Main / APlotInDeed

* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaMajorasMask'': Link must obtain the deed to a Deku flower in Clock Town to progress in the game, which its owner will trade in exchange for the Moon's Tear. There's also an optional side quest where Link can continue to trade with other Deku who will give him the deeds to their own flowers in exchange for the deed to a flower in their preferred location.

* In ''Two Little Savages'' by Ernest Thompson-Seton, Caleb gave a deed to his farm to his son-in-law, Dick, and was thrown out at once. So, with some help from newfound friends, he comes to said son-in-law and says he also has some money to leave him, but he'll need to rewrite the deed for that. Once he gets his hands on the paper, he throws it into the hearth and holds off Dick at gunpoint until it burns up. Since it is stated that "these were the days before registration in Canada; possession of the deed was possession of the farm, and to lose the deed was to lose the land.", and Caleb does have an older deed of his own safely locked away, that means within seconds, he has the full right to throw Dick off his property.

See also LostWillAndTestament.

* In the ''WesternAnimation/BackToTheFutureTheAnimatedSeries'' episode "[[Recap/BackToTheFutureTheAnimatedSeriesS2E3AFriendInDeed A Friend in Deed]]", Biff finds a property deed entitling the Tannens to the land on which the Parker Ranch is built. Marty takes the time train back to the 1800s to fix the situation. Outlaw Thaddeus Tannen still succeeds in coercing Mr. Parker to sign over the land to him, [[MeaninglessVillainVictory but the signature doesn't show up]] because [[GuileHero Marty]] gave him a pen with invisible ink.

!Examples

* One ComicBook/RocketRaccoon comic had Rocket hired to steal a deed from an unscrupulous land developer, justified as the planet in question required physical possession of the deed at all times and they just needed to delay construction.
* In ''[[ComicBook/{{Batman}} Batman: A Word to the Wise]]'', ComicBook/TheJoker goes out to find a copy of the rare 1867 edition of "The Geography of Canada" to obtain an old land grant parchment that, according to him, would prove that his ancestors inherited all the lands of North America and thus makes him the continent's rightful ruler. His plan ultimately fails not simply because his forces are miniscule enough for Batman to overpower them, but because the land grant expired literally a day ago, rendering his claim null and void.

* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker''" Ms. Marie, a teacher on Windfall Island, will gift Link with a deed to her private cabana after he helps her calm down some rowdy students and gifts her with 20 [[PlotCoupon Joy Pendants]]. The island's name will even change on your Sea Chart from "Private Oasis" to "Link's Oasis" (or whatever name you've entered for that file). [[spoiler:This is actually required to complete the game, as the basement of the cabana contains a Triforce Chart (changed to a Triforce Shard in the HD version.)]]

* One episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'' has Timmy Turner going back in time to the Wild West to find the deed to his dad's childhood hometown in order to prevent it from being bulldozed by Doug Dimmadome. [[spoiler:[[AllForNothing Upon getting the deed, Timmy's dad sells it to Doug Dimmadome for pocket change, having since decided that his childhood was better off forgotten.]]]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/oddoddwest298.jpg]]

* One episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'' has Timmy Turner going back in time to the Wild West to find the deed to his dad's childhood hometown in order to prevent it from being bulldozed by Doug Dimmadome. [[spoiler:Upon getting the deed, Timmy's dad sells it to Doug Dimmadome for pocket change, having since decided that his childhood was better off forgotten.]]

* In ''[[ComicBook/{{Batman}} Batman: A Word to the Wise]]'', ComicBook/TheJoker goes out to find a copy of the rare 1867 edition of "The Geography of Canada" to find an old land grant parchment that, according to him, would prove that his ancestors inherited all the lands of North America and thus makes him the continent's rightful ruler. His plan ultimately fails not simply because his forces are miniscule enough for Batman to overpower them, but because the land grant expired literally a day ago, rendering his claim null and void.

* In ''[[ComicBook/{{Batman}} Batman: A Word to the Wise]]'', ComicBook/TheJoker goes out to find a copy of the rare 1867 edition of "The Geography of Canada" to find an old land grant parchment that, according to him, would prove that his ancestors inherited all the land of North America and thus makes him the continent's rightful ruler. His plan ultimately fails not simply because his forces are miniscule enough for Batman to overpower them, but because the land grant expired literally a day ago, rendering his claim null and void.

* In ''[[ComicBook/{{Batman}} Batman: A Word to the Wise]]'': The Joker goes out to find a copy of the rare 1867 edition of "The Geography of Canada" to find an old land grant parchment that, according to him, would prove that his ancestors inherited all the land of North America and thus makes him the continent's rightful ruler. His plan ultimately fails not simply because his forces are miniscule enough for Batman to overpower them, but because the land grant expired literally a day ago, rendering his claim null and void.

* ''Series/{{WandaVision}}'': "Previously On" reveals [[spoiler: that Vision, prior to his death in ''AvengersInfinityWar'', had bought the deed to an empty lot in Westview, NJ, so that he and Wanda could build a house and live together. This deed, and all the grief surrounding it, became the catalyst for Wanda's Hex to take over Westview and kick off the series]].

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* ''Series/{{WandaVision}}'': "Previously On" reveals [[spoiler: that Vision, prior to his death in AvengersInfinityWar, had bought the deed to an empty lot in Westview, so that he and Wanda could build a house and live together. This deed, and all the grief surrounding it, became the catalyst for Wanda's Hex to take over Westview and kick off the series]].

* The ''WesternAnimation/JosieAndThePussycats'' episode "All Wrong in Hong Kong" has an evil industrialist plan to attain a deed to all of Asia, scribed by the mighty conqueror Genghis Khan. His factory encompasses an ancient temple that houses the deed. The Pussycats, by mischance, happen to have a rare coin that can access this deed, so TheVillain plots to capture them to reacquire this coin.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfIchabodAndMrToad'': In ''Literature/TheWindInTheWillows'' segment, Toad is arrested for stealing a motorcar, but he claims he exchanged it for the deed to Toad Hall. He calls Mr. Winkie, owner of the pub where the trade took place, to corroborate, but instead Winkie claims Toad tried to sell him the motorcar, and Toad is put in prison. Later, [=McBadger=] discovers Winkie and the weasels living in Toad Hall, with Winkie holding the deed. So our heroes have to steal the deed back to prove Toad's innocence.

* In ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017'' the origin of the feud between the Beagle Boys and Scrooge turns out to be that the Beagles' ancestor stole the deed to Ducksberg, but Scrooge stole it back and leased it to the town council.
* One episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddparents'' has Timmy Turner going back in time to the Wild West to find the deed to his dad's childhood hometown in order to prevent it from being bulldozed by Doug Dimmadome. [[spoiler:Upon getting the deed, Timmy's dad sells it to Doug Dimmadome for pocket change, having since decided that his childhood was better off forgotten.]]
* In the first season finale of ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'' Lil Gideon attempts to steal the deed to the Mystery Shack from Grunkle Stan. First summoning [[EldritchAbomination Bill Cipher]] to enter Stan's dreams and steal the code to his safe, and when that fails using dynamite.
* The ''WesternAnimation/JosieAndThePussyCats'' episode "All Wrong in Hong Kong" has an evil industrialist plan to attain a deed to all of Asia, scribed by the mighty conqueror Genghis Khan. His factory encompasses an ancient temple that houses the deed. The Pussy Cats, by mischance, happen to have a rare coin that can access this deed, so TheVillain plots to capture them to reacquire this coin.

* ''VideoGame/FreddiFish 5'': The final act of the game is devoted to recovering the deed to Coral Cove Park in order to prove that [[spoiler:the sea monster that's been sighted in the park is its true owner, and Marty stole the property in order to profit from it.]]