Title Search
An examination of public property records to verify a property's ownership history and identify liens or encumbrances that could affect a buyer's clear title.
What is Title Search?
A title search is an examination of public land records—deeds, mortgages, liens, court judgments, tax records, and easements—maintained by the county recorder's or register of deeds office to establish a property's chain of title: the complete history of ownership transfers from the earliest record to the present owner. The purpose is to verify that the seller has clear, marketable title and that no undisclosed claims could interfere with the buyer's ownership rights after closing. Title searches are conducted by title companies, real estate attorneys, or abstractors and typically take 1–5 business days. Common defects discovered during title searches include: unpaid property taxes, mechanic's liens from contractors, judgment liens from court cases, mortgage liens not properly released after payoff, easements limiting use, and boundary disputes. If defects are found, they must typically be resolved before closing—either by the seller paying off liens, obtaining lien releases, or purchasing an indemnity bond. The title search also forms the basis for issuing title insurance policies that protect against defects that the search may have missed.
Example
A title search on a home being sold in a probate reveals that the deceased owner had an outstanding $23,000 IRS tax lien that was never released, plus an unreleased mortgage from a 2008 refinancing (the loan was paid off but the lender never filed a release). Both defects must be cleared before closing: the estate negotiates with the IRS for a lien release from sale proceeds, and the title company contacts the original lender's successor bank to obtain the overdue mortgage satisfaction document. The search prevents the buyer from unknowingly inheriting these encumbrances.