Abstract and Title Search How to investigate issues.

chow

"HOW YOU CAN DO A REAL ESTATE TITLE SEARCH!"
Great For Real Estate Agents, Investors, & Home Buyers!

Great, you can buy this on ebay for $9.00-$50.00! :roll:

General steps of what the searcher goes through. Always provide your title company the applicants SSN, Former address information, and any other names the party may have had credit with.
Most searchers will go to these general areas.

1. Auditor of Deeds office: This office maintains information on parcel numbers and legal descritptions, they also usually have plat maps and detailed drawings. If there is a question about the legal descritpion of a parcel, you can verify it here.

2. Recorder's office: This office maintains all legal documents which have been recorded in the county, Information is normally endexed by name of grantor, grantee, mortgagor, and mortgagee. This office also maintains UCC filing, Mechanics Lien Filings, and miscellaneous filings (you can record any paper document, it need not be attached to real estate) You can also make copies of the records in this office at a per copy charge. If you are attempting to clear a title issue the searcher missed-MAKE A COPY OF THE DOCUMENT THAT CLEARS UP THE ISSUE. Due to record keeping changing with the invention of the computer-You might have to ask how old the records in the system go back to, and then actually get a little dusty by going into the old Books.

3. Assessor's office: This area maintains the valuation of all parcels of land in the county. When someone owns more than one parcel of land, this area can help you figure out which is the correct parcel to search. You get the TAX ID# from this office.

4. Treasurer's office: This is the office that maintains all of the expenses for the property. (some towns have a town and county treasurer, so both offices must be searched) You will also find out if there are improvements to the property (public water and sewer, or if there is a well, lake, pond on property) Tax exemptions (deductions for having a mortgage, being a disabled veteran, ect) are also noted here, all unpaid taxes and penalties are also listed here.

5. Clerk's office: This office maintains the records of all courts in the county or city (yes, you check both) You also have to check each court for judgements- If the records are not on a data base, in one central area for the entire city or county. In Indiana, Judgements are enforceable for 10 years, each state is different, so each court will be checked by the searcher, for Judgements against your borrower, or the seller- if liens where filed against the sellers peoperty. A copy of the judgement is usually obtained upon request.

I typed this myself, so expect typo's.

Jenie0109 · Joined: 27 Jan 2009 Posts: 307 Location: chicago IL

Great info! thanks a lot.

full50 · Joined: 29 Jun 2009 Posts: 3

Thanks so much for taking the time to clarify what is involved. I have been in the national title arena since 1996 and have been asked many times to explain the process. It's much more than plulling up a name and address on a computer screen as some people think. Even worse in the days before records were computerized. Oh yes, the huge dusty books that made you sneeze each time you turned a page. Granted, when a search reaches the title agency, they will perform an examination, but they can only examine what the abstractor reports, so the abstractors role is vital! Nobody should mind paying these folks a fair fee for the invaluable service they perform and the knowledge they posses. Quite typically they have a thankless job, but in reality they should be praised!