Are you on the fence about getting title insurance? There are more issues that can arise with property title than you might think. Below are a few of the most common ones, which may help convince you to get insurance:
Clerical Errors
During real estate transfers, it is easy for important information to be misspelled, incorrectly filed, or incorrectly dated. These clerical errors matter, and can cause issues with the title. Title searches can usually uncover these issues, but having insurance is the best way to stay protected from them.
Illegal Documents
It’s difficult to tell when a deed is signed by an underaged individual or an illegal immigrant. As a result, these issues don’t usually surface until long after the title is transferred to a new owner. Without insurance, this would now be the new owner’s problem.
Unexpected Heirs
Even with access to a property’s owner history, an unexpected heir to a property could try to claim ownership of your home. If you lack the protection granted by insurance, you could find yourself in a legal dispute.
Impersonations
A notary will be present when important legal documents are signed, and he or she will check identification. Yet, because notaries are not required to validate the identification, signers could actually be using a fake ID. Therefore, an unauthorized person could have previously been the owner of your home. This could jeopardize your legal claim to the property.
Forgeries
Another error that may take a while to surface is any forged documents. If these documents involve property owners and have been filed in public records, your rights to your home could be at risk.
Unforeseen Liens
Banks or other financial institutions could place a lien on your property if they find any debts that have not been paid. This means debts incurred by previous owners could end up causing you trouble unless you are protected.
Trust Champion Title & Settlements with Your Title Services
Champion Title is a full-service title insurance agency providing title insurance and closing support to streamline closings and increase compliance for our diverse clientele including home buyers. We fully embrace technology and are proud to offer clients myriad tools and services to efficiently and accurately assist them with all of their closing needs. For more information, contact us today!