Why title Search Companies or Title Outsourcing Services are needed?
When you are looking to mortgage property or purchase a new one, it is required that it is free of any liabilities or there is no issue on its title ownership, etc. This is where title search services come in handy.
Doing a title search will ensure you identify who all owns a property and how much share each of the owners has on it, thus helping you to also determine, if the person selling the property has the right for it and that there will be no other legal issues later on.
With the help of title search services, you can look up title records such as public records encompassing ownership deeds, encumbrances, mortgages, tax, marriage or probate records, liens, and so on to ensure there is no impediment to your owning complete ownership of the property.
The process worked when we involve with a Title Search;
In case, the property has been handed over from one person to the other be it as an inheritance, or even in case it has been sold off more than once, then there is a need to check the chain of title. The chain would trace back from the present owner to the original owner and can be obtained from the public records kept in the office of a Recorder or a Clerk of the County. This data can also be availed from title plants that are possessed and retained by Title companies. If you ever find that the chain of title is incomplete, then you need to be aware that there is some issue with the Title, could be a result of deed forgery, or could be changed to the name of the owner who held the title earlier. Whatever, you need to be sure that the property is marketable and that you will not be pulled into any legal issue later on.
Next step in the process could be the tax search to determine the current status of the real estate taxes against the property. This helps to identify if the tax is up to date or if any is overdue and unpaid over the years. In case, there is a series of unpaid taxes, the government could put up the property for sale to pay for those taxes or assessments. Also, in case you have title insurance in place, it could save you, as a lender from the long-overdue or unpaid taxes.
You should also call for inspecting the property, also to confirm that there is no encroachment issue, which could impact the title, or also see if anyone is still occupying the property.
Then, finally after confirming that there are no impediments or defects related to the title that can affect your ownership, you can continue with the closing of the transaction with the buyer, following which you can avail a commitment to insure.
Here, you can see that by following these tips or process of title search services, you can ensure that the title is free from all defects or claims that could be an impediment to a smooth deal on the property.