Title insurance has become an important necessity due to the high risk involved in buying, selling, or financing real property. The policy issued at the date transfer of the property from one party to the other for the cost of a one-time premium charge. It is valid from that point until the property again changes ownership.
While there should be no risk in transferring property, risk does exist. Many "hidden" hazards to property ownership may show up unexpectedly in connection with the property. Any one of them could mean a costly loss or require time-consuming hours to clear. Title insurance protects the buyer from damages and expenses to warranties and representations made at the conveyance of the property. The following are a few examples of hidden problems:
- Confusion from similarity of names.
- Forged documents.
- Signatures of minors or mentally incompetent persons.
- Mistakes in recording real legal documents.
- Undisclosed or missing heirs.
- Fraud.
- Invalid divorces.
- Misrepresentation of marital status.
- Unpaid taxes or mechanic's liens.
- Clerical errors in public records.
- Wills not probated.
When a policy of title insurance is issued by WestStar Title, the buyer and seller can rest assured the property is protected subject only to its terms and exceptions.
If you’d like more information, please contact us online or call us at (915) 779-0500 (Downtown), (915) 747-4145 (East) or (915) 747-4146 (West).