When making any large purchase, it is always wise to do your research first. The same applies to purchasing a home and conducting a title search. What is a property title search? A property title search occurs before anyone makes a real estate purchase. These searches ensure that the person selling the home has the legal rights to do so, and that there are no other issues that could prevent the buyer from taking ownership. What possible issues could occur before possessing the property? Here’s what you need to know about the most common title search issues.
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Common Title Search Issues
Illegal Documents
The chain of title on your property may seem legitimate at first sight, but there is a possibility that a previous deed was made by a minor, a person of unsound mind, an undocumented immigrant, or someone who has reported that they are single but are married. Situations like these can affect the enforceability of previous deeds, affecting prior and, in some cases, present ownership.
Errors in Documents
It is human nature to make mistakes, but when it affects important aspects of your life such as home ownership rights, these mistakes can be devastating. Errors made with documents can affect the deed or survey of your property and lead to financial strain as you attempt to resolve them.
Forgeries
Sometimes fabricated or forged documents that deal with property ownership are filed within public records. This obscures the true ownership of the property. When these forgeries are found, your rights to your home may be on the line.
Boundary Disputes
Before purchasing your home, it is likely that you may have seen several surveys of your property. However, there may be other surveys that exist that show different boundaries. There is a chance that a neighbour or other party can claim ownership to a portion of your property.
Missing Heirs
When someone dies, the ownership of their home usually falls to their heirs or whoever is named within their will. However, upon the time of death, these heirs may be missing or unknown. In other cases, relatives may contest the will for their own property rights. In each of these scenarios, which can happen years after you have already bought the property, your rights to the property can be affected.
Unknown Liens
People who lived on your property before you may not have been very meticulous about their bookkeeping or paying bills. Even though the previous debt does not belong to you, banks and other financial companies can place liens on your property for these unpaid debts even after you have closed on the sale. Title search for liens can bring these issues to light so you can prevent taking on a debt that isn’t yours.
Zinati Kay – Real Estate Lawyers Can Help You with Title Search Issues
When you hire our team to help you purchase a home, you will have peace of mind knowing that the job will be handled professionally and appropriately. We will thoroughly check the records, documents, and forms to ensure there are no hidden issues. At Zinati Kay – Real Estate Lawyers, we hire a title searcher to conduct our searches and provide us with a report on Title before you close. Unlike other law firms who do their title searches online, by hiring a professional to do our searches, you benefit from an extra set of eyes reviewing your title. The best part? This is included in our closing cost at no extra charge! For extra protection, we will also arrange Title Insurance that will cover many matters that cannot be revealed by title searches alone.
We have over 50 years of closing experience and we provides fixed closing costs to our clients when they buy, sell, mortgage, or title transfer their property. We have closed over 21,000 real estate transactions, and helped our clients navigate the often-confusing terms and conditions of their forms. If you want a professional to help you make wise decisions about your home, contact us at (416) 321-8766 for more information about our services.