Title Search And Examination

---
name: title-search-and-examination
description: "Run the title search and examination: define the search period, trace the chain of title to a reliable root, confirm the current vesting, and inventory every lien, encumbrance, easement, and prior exception. Chain of title is examined, not assumed; every underwriter/jurisdiction specific is verify-at-use."
---

# Title Search & Examination

Turn a raw search into an examined picture of what is on the title: who owns it, in what capacity, and subject to what.

> **Advisory, not legal or underwriting advice.** Search periods, marketability standards, and what constitutes a defect vary by jurisdiction and underwriter — every specific here is `[verify-at-use]`. No PII.

## The workflow

1. **Set the search scope.** Establish the search period and root of title per jurisdiction/underwriter standard (`[verify-at-use]`) and pull the current owner (grantor/grantee), tax, judgment, and lien records.
2. **Trace the chain of title.** Follow every conveyance from the search period back to the root. Confirm each deed conveyed what the next assumed, and that names, marital status, and entity authority match across links.
3. **Confirm the current vesting.** Who holds title, in what tenancy or entity, and with what authority to convey.
4. **Inventory encumbrances.** Open mortgages/deeds of trust, judgments, tax liens, mechanic's liens, HOA/CC&R obligations, easements, leases, and prior policy exceptions — list each with its status.
5. **Flag defects.** Chain gaps, name variances, defective acknowledgments, missing releases, probate/divorce/entity issues — each becomes a requirement, a cure, or an exception (see [`../commitment-and-curative/SKILL.md`](../commitment-and-curative/SKILL.md)).

## What "examined, not assumed" means

| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| Trace every link back to a reliable root | Assume the prior policy covered it |
| Confirm names/authority match across deeds | Ignore a name variance as "probably the same person" |
| Account for every open lien explicitly | Silently drop a lien you assume was paid |
| Escalate an unclear defect to the underwriter | Insure past your delegated authority |

## Read metrics

| Signal | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Search turnaround time | Whether the first pipeline stage is the bottleneck |
| Defect/curative rate per file | How much curative load the pipeline carries |
| Chain gaps found at exam vs at closing | Whether examination is catching defects early enough |

## See also

- Traverse the **clear a title exception** tree in [`../../knowledge/title-escrow-decision-trees.md`](../../knowledge/title-escrow-decision-trees.md).
- Next step: [`../commitment-and-curative/SKILL.md`](../commitment-and-curative/SKILL.md); the closing side: [`../escrow-closing-and-disbursement/SKILL.md`](../escrow-closing-and-disbursement/SKILL.md).
- Best practice: [`../../best-practices/chain-of-title-is-examined-not-assumed.md`](../../best-practices/chain-of-title-is-examined-not-assumed.md).
- Dated exception/recording reference: [`../../knowledge/title-escrow-reference-2026.md`](../../knowledge/title-escrow-reference-2026.md).