Which of the following would be considered a title defect?

A title defect refers to any issue or problem related to the legal ownership of a property that can affect the validity of the title. An unsettled estate dispute exemplifies a title defect because it indicates that there are competing claims or uncertainties regarding who has rightful ownership, which can prevent a clear transfer of title to a buyer. This situation makes the title less than clear, potentially leading to legal challenges or disputes in the future.

In contrast, a clean and marketable title indicates that there are no known defects or issues, making it a desirable characteristic for real estate transactions. Proper conveyance is the process of transferring property ownership in accordance with legal requirements, which does not imply any issues with the title. An accurate property description ensures that the property being sold is precisely identified but does not indicate any problems related to ownership. Thus, the presence of an unsettled estate dispute directly identifies the existence of uncertainty and potential conflict in title ownership, leading to it being categorized correctly as a title defect.