A title search is a process that is performed primarily to determine the answer to three questions:
- Does the seller have a saleable interest in the property?
- What kind of restrictions or allowances pertain to the use of the land (real covenants, easements, or other servitudes)?
- Do any liens exist on the property which need to be paid off at closing (mortgages, back taxes, mechanic’s liens, or other assessments)?
Anyone may do a title search and documents concerning conveyances of land are a matter of public record. For example, a title report may also show any easements, or recorded legal rights to the property or portions of the property. A previous owner may have legally given a neighbor the right to share the driveway, or the city may have a right to strips of the property for putting power lines, communication lines, water pipes, or sewer pipes. A few on-line services offer title searches for relatively little cost, and their accuracy is not inferior to what a title company or attorney will offer; however on-line businesses rely mostly on electronically available information, and for that reason could at times be limited.
Don’t take a chance and hope you have up to date title information; Call Chiarella Law.