When buying a property in South Carolina, you probably have had someone ask you about getting title insurance. You may not be sure if you should buy it.
After all, Forbes notes that only a small percentage of buyers end up actually using this insurance. However, for those who do use it, it saves a lot of hassle, time and money.
The value of title insurance
The main protection this insurance offers you is against any type of claim made on your property once you own it. Furthermore, when you get the insurance, the insurer will typically do a deep search into your title. Such a search can be difficult for you to manage on your own. However, it can uncover a lot of things that could put your ownership of the property in jeopardy.
Common title issues
Issues with a title are often due to something that happened a long time ago. They may not involve the immediately previous owner. An issue could include fraud where somewhere along the way, someone who did not legally own the land sold it to someone else. There is also the risk of public record errors where a clerk recorded something incorrectly that interferes with the legality of your ownership now.
Another issue is liens that previous owners may have avoided but that could come up for you. As well, there is always a possibility that if your property ever changed hands due to death of the owner that an heir could show up claiming he or she legally owns the property.
All of these issues can lead to litigation. This costs money and takes time. You cannot ignore such matters, either. You will have to go through the process to prove you are the property’s legal owner. This is where the title insurance can help, because your insurer will defend you in court and fight for your legal right to the property.