Lien Search

As a buyer, you need to know, for certain, that the seller has full ownership of the property. You also need to know what rights and limitations exist with respect to the property and to whom were any rights given and under what terms do they exist. For example, the seller or another prior owner may have sold or given to others an easement or right to use all or part of the property.

There may be covenants or restrictions which might limit your use of the property and fees which you may be obligated to pay to a homeowner’s association or others. Frequently, the seller has used their property as collateral for a loan and placed a lien upon the title. These are the type of matters which a title company would uncover during their title and lien search and examination. The importance of having a competent and careful title company charged with responsibility for these matters cannot be understated.

Micro Title is also typically responsible for preparing and recording a deed or evidence of ownership change among the public records in the county where the property is located and for seeing to it that all current taxes and all liens on the title to the property are paid in full and released at or prior to closing.

Two types of "title insurance" are offered at closing.

Owner’s title insurance is usually available to you as a purchaser by the title company at the title of the closing. Owner’s Title insurance is a policy of insurance which insures you, the owner, against specified title problems affecting the title to the property.


Most lenders insist on a similar policy of insurance called a Lender’s Title Policy which insures that their lien against the property is a good and valid lien. The cost of this lender’s title policy is usually borne by the borrower. The cost of either is a one-time premium, which offers protection even after you have sold the property.