September 09, 2010  * Resources * What is Title Insurance?  
  What is Title Insurance?


Why Title Insurance?

When you purchase a home you want to be sure that you are protecting yourself and your family against claims to the title (ownership) of your home.  When you buy an owner's title insurance policy, it insures that no one else will have any liens, claims or encumbrances against your home other than your mortgage.  Title Insurance protects the equity in your home against hidden risks or undiscovered interest such as:

  • Fraud
  • Invalid deeds delivered after the death of the grantor
  • Invalid documents executed after a power of attorney has expired
  • Forged deeds
  • Deeds of persons of unsound mind
  • Deeds made by minors
  • Deeds by a person stating they are single but are actually married
  • Liens for unpaid estate inheritance and gift of taxes against the prior owners of your home
  • Unrecorded easements
  • Undisclosed heirs of the prior owner of your home or land in which it is situated 

What does Title Insurance protect me from?

Some of the most common claims include:

  • False impersonation of the true owner of the property.
  • Forged deeds, releases, or wills.
  • Undisclosed or missing heirs.
  • Contracts executed under invalid or expired power of attorney.
  • Mistakes in recording legal documents.
  • Misinterpretation of wills.
  • Deeds by minors or persons of unsound mind.
  • Deeds by persons who have misrepresented their marital status.
  • Liens for unpaid estate, inheritance, income, or gift taxes.
Rattikin Title - Member, AmeriPoint Title Alliance
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