Preliminary Title Search Report Question

Question:

When searching most government web sites you search by say street address then select the exact address you want before paying so you know you’re getting the right one AND it’s on the web site you’re paying money to. If I’m going to pay $195 per search how do I know I’ll get anything from my money. A lot of sites claim to have title/deed info then come back with nothing. 15 Enterprise Court Apt 406 in Jersey City NJ is one I want. What’s the process a human takes that and manually does a search?

Ty

Answer:

James,

We understand your concerns about other companies. While consumers may sometimes get the impression that such companies are competitors, in reality we have significant differences. Our niche in the industry includes (1) providing clients with the information they need quickly (usually within 1-2 hours) without the hassle of subscriptions, contracts, memberships or even logins; (2) providing excellent customer service by qualified staff experienced in the industry; and (3) providing these services at the appropriate rate. (We do not inflate prices and then advertise special offers).

If a given address produces no result, it is typically because the address is uniquely indexed (or a similar technical issue). In that event, we would ask you to provide an owner name and/or a parcel number and county. In other words, we have multiple ways to target the correct property and we work with the client to ensure what is needed is delivered, to the extent it exists.

With respect to the information provided in the title search reports, if you click on each report, you will see the detailed itemization. If there are no liens recorded against a given property, then liens will not be reflected. Other than that type of example, all information should be provided in the report. If anything is missing or inaccurate, it is company policy to issue an immediate, full refund. Our client base is largely made up of home buyers, lenders, financial institutions, mortgage companies, real estate investors, equity groups and law firms conducting due diligence or other research and subject to our site’s terms of use.

We use proprietary analytics software with full access to every digitized database throughout the United States to prepare our reports. Each database is updated at predetermined schedules (daily, weekly, etc., depending on the entity) and all database content is subject to its own set of accuracy and liability disclaimers. In a few rural counties where the information is not digitized, our abstractors retrieve the documents. In that circumstance, we cannot provide the records immediately so we notify the client and offer an immediate full refund or the option of waiting a few days.

All of our time spent on communications and consulting is included, whether or not a consumer actually orders a report. We receive numerous real estate and title related questions from the general public and new clients learn what our regular clients already know – that they can email us with any question or special request and we will respond promptly, whether that client is an attorney working on a holiday to prepare for trial or an investor doing due diligence in the evening. We take our client services seriously and understand that even if you cannot benefit from our services now, that might change in the future. Therefore, we take every opportunity to build relationships and happy client referrals have fueled our consistent growth in the industry.

Clients who are familiar with a particular neighborhood and are knowledgeable about the area statistics usually order the Full Lien Report. Clients interested in neighborhood and area statistics including current comparable valuation reports order the Full Lien Report PLUSor the Complete Records Package (the package also includes the zoning, parcel and flood maps together with a copy of the current vesting deed reflecting the full legal description of the property).

We do not provide telephone support with the exception of large custom projects. All communications are maintained in written form and saved for quality control purposes and liability reasons. Although it can be less convenient for some people, most prefer the convenience and it minimizes misunderstandings. Exchanges frequently relate to content that may affect an individual’s legal rights, so we are required to provide as much factual information as possible while ensuring that no portion of the communication is construed as legal advice.

Please let us know if you have additional questions or need more information.

Thank you