A title abstract will show you whether there are any clouds on the title. It can also be used to confirm ownership and determine percentages of ownership.
 
It is a document that presents the legal history of a property and it is generated by examining documents that are tied to the property and its current owner(s), including deeds, mortgages, court records, tax information, and more. This is used to identify risks when buying or to find clouds that must be corrected.