Title insurance can protect home buyers from title search failings

Q: I enjoyed your column that deals with looking up the status of your title online. I learn from your column. I was an underwriter for one of the nation’s largest title companies for many years, so these dry matters interest me.

With reference to that recent column and with items that show up on a property’s title commitment, I would like to point out that judgment liens and IRS liens against landowners do not ordinarily appear on the chain of title or on the title commitment. The names of the owners down the chain of title must be searched. These matters attach to the land even though they will not be found in the land records.