Title problems
When the title commitment shows something it shouldn't
Old liens, missing releases, gaps in the chain and boundary trouble.
A title commitment is a list of what the insurer won't cover. Most of it is routine. Some of it can stop a closing: a judgment against a past owner, a loan paid off decades ago but never released, an heir who never signed a deed.
We find out who can clear each item, get the right document recorded, and keep the closing date where we can.
What we clear most
Unreleased deeds of trust and mortgages
Judgment and mechanic's liens
Breaks in the chain of title
Fences and buildings over the line
How a title problem is cleared
Most defects need one recorded paper
A release
When a lender was paid but never released its lien, we track down the lender or its successor and get the release recorded.
A corrective deed
A misspelled name, a wrong legal description or a missing signature is fixed by a new deed from the people who signed the first one.
An agreement with a neighbor
A fence or a shed over the line can often be settled by a recorded boundary agreement, without going to court.
Questions about clearing title
Will the closing be delayed?
Sometimes. A missing release from a lender that still exists can take days; one from a lender that closed years ago can take weeks. We tell you which kind you have on the first call.
What if it needs a lawsuit?
A few defects only a court can clear, like a quiet title action. That's outside the flat title fee; we quote it separately before anything is filed.
Who pays to clear it?
Usually the seller, under most purchase contracts. We read yours to be sure, and we tell the other side in writing.
Send the commitment, with its Schedule B
We read the exceptions and tell you which ones matter and what clearing them costs.