A lien is a claim against a property. If you’re interested in a specific home, it is important to uncover any hidden liens. Real estate liens attach to the property, not the debtor. When ownership changes hands, then the lien remains on the home. Mortgage businesses require a clean title before a loan is issued. If you’re purchasing the home outright or purchasing a foreclosure at an auction, check for property rebate yourself prior to signing a contract. California county recorders keep a searchable property database that provides lien holder information.
Obtain property details in the county tax assessor. Tax records are public record. It is possible to view the owner’s name, description of the land, lot and assessor’s identification number.
Go to the county recorder’s office. Some counties offer information on the web, but in most cases you’ll need to search the registry of deeds in person. With the particular property information, you can see legal documents regarding the ownership, for example, mortgage holder and judgment liens filed by creditors.
Piece together the info. Each previous sale, transfer, mortgage, mortgage, mortgage release, and lien make up the property’s “title”. The records are not all grouped together, but rather filed by date of occurrence.
Pay to get a title report. If you don’t need to search yourself, you can employ a title company, attorney, or escrow company to retrieve the info. The title report comprises the names of titleholders and the way title is held, tax rate, property taxes due, and encumbrances, like mortgages, liens, deeds of trusts, recorded judgments.