Lee R. Schroeder is an Ohio licensed attorney with Schroeder Law LLC in Ottawa. He limits his practice to business, real estate, estate planning and agriculture issues in northwest Ohio. He can be reached at lee@leeschroeder.com or at (419) 523-5523. This article is not intended to serve as legal advice, and specific advice should be sought from the licensed attorney of your choice based upon the specific facts and circumstances that you face.
When you’re in the process of purchasing a home, it’s likely that the lender will “order the title work” before the sale is final. “Title work” refers to the process of reviewing and analyzing public records and other documents to confirm ownership as well as uncover liens and mortgages. There is no required licensing for someone to be able to find and compile all documents recorded that relate to a property. However, only a licensed attorney can give an “opinion” on title.
When someone borrows money for a house, the person’s lender will almost always indicate that the lender will “order the title work” before the house purchase is finalized.
“Title work” is the process of reviewing the public records and analyzing other documents to confirm ownership and to find liens or mortgages. Title work generally means physically combing through the public records to find all filed documents that relate to the property. Some records are available online, but records from before the early 1990s are usually only available on paper at the county recorder’s office.
Read more about title work in Lee’s article in the Lima News here: Legal-Ease: What is title work?
Source: LimaOhio.com, “Legal-Ease: What is title work?,” by Lee R. Schroeder, August 22, 2014