Any Title Abstractors Out There?
I'm doing some research on technology in the title search process and hoped someone out there could help me out.
Specifically, I wonder how most abstractors obtain the documents (liens, taxes, etc) required to create a preliminary title report. I'm in California, if that matters.
Thanks for any help,
Joe
Your local Recorder of Deeds has all those documents. His office is usually in the county courthouse. In most places the documents are indexed to the legal description of the lot in either books (usually prior to some date in the 1970's) or a computer. There will be a summary of the document type (w.d. for warranty deed, for example) and a listing of the grantor/grantee. The index will give a recording number for the document.
In most places the underlying documents are available either in digital form or microfilm. They are indexed in order as they were recorded so you have to have a document number from the property index to find any particular document.
I could help you if you were in PA, but no CA. you've got those 'title plants' out there and I've got no idea how that works. Try Source of Title - you should be able to find out something there.
In olden times you went down to the Hall of Records and you started with the Grantee-Grantor Index and then into the individual Assessor numbers and then you went down the list.
Them days are gone forever. Thank God, I sometimes miss my Green eyeshade and the black sleeves I wore on each arm.
In 2004 you go to the Title Company and you pay them to search, or you pay them for the search. You can buy time in plant, but why bother. You still have Court House Search to do just in case something slipted in and has not been abstracted to the title page.
Most of them or those that know, just buy the service on line. You pay so much per search and you got it right there on your desk. Most Real Estate Brokers just call the Title Co. Customer Service and they get information for free in exchange for naming the title company on all of their deals. That way if you are a little retarded you can ask a question of the nice man and he will look it up on his computer and give you an answer in about 20 seconds.
Oh I love modern times. So much better.
I also use a bunch of other services that I pay for cause sometimes my questions are a little complicated. Checking purchase prices on a piece of property before offer so I know whats doing, how much pressure on the Owner etc. etc. etc. Remember Intelligence is what seperates the winning general from the loser. And This Is Intelligence.
Cheers Lucius 8-) 8-)
You can still go down to the Recorders office yourself & see many abstractors working along at the computer terminals. I too do it at the Los Angeles County Recorders Office in Norwalk."old school Lufos style " it is not microfiche anymore most new docs are imaged & scanned.
Thanks all for the great info!
It sounds like some folks do it the manual way and some do it the automated way. I'm mostly curious about the automated way.
Specifically, I wonder how an abstractor working for Title Company X performs the actual title search in preperation of creating a Preliminary Title Report. I think title plants are used, so I'd like to drill a little further into that area. For example, does Title Company X maintain a local title plant with info on all docs registered with the county or does Title Company X subscribe to a service that provides those docs? Or maybe it works totally differently?!?!
Again - thanks for all of your help,
Joe
Hello,
I'm an abstractor located in PA.
My company performs title searches for many counties across the US via our partner network, vendors, and online resources. The county websites in California really aren't that helpful, but there are many ways to research properties. If you need a copy of a deed, most current title, or other information, let me know.