A title certificate, or lien search, is a report of the current ownership of and liens against a particular piece of real estate. Generally a lien search is requested when a titleholder wants to refinance an existing mortgage or obtain a new mortgage.
A title certificate reports how title was acquired and lists all unsatisfied secured liens on the property, the current taxes on the property, and personal liens of the current titleholder. Unlike abstracts, reports of title do not include easements, plats and surveys, leases, fencing agreements or other restrictions of the property’s use.
The property is searched from the date the current titleholder took title or from the date of the last lien search performed on that property for the lender.
Title certificates are usually requested by the lending institution by e-mail or fax. Normally the search is completed within 48 hours of the time the order is placed and is e-mailed or faxed to the person requesting the search.
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