Special offer

Debate over the Title Search in Ontario

By
Commercial Real Estate Agent with RE/MAX West Realty Inc., Brokerage (Toronto)

Debate over the Title Search

Question:

What is included in the title search?

a,. liens

b. outstanding mortgage

c. taxes

d. easements

 

Various answers were provided as to which answers were correct.

Answer:

This is really not a good question. Some liens, some easements and some taxes are registered against the title.

Most of the time taxes would not be registered against the title. That would be the case unless there was a tax sale.

There are even mortgages which are not registered,

The way the question is posed does not generate one singular accurate response.

Taxes rarely would be registered (99% of the time).

Mortgages are almost always registered (99% of the time).

A Construction lien is unregistered for the first 45 days, then it expires unless registered.

An execution, which is a Judgment affecting property is not on title. It's in the Sheriff's office. This would truly be a non-title search, until it is a Judicial Sale. Then, it's on title.

Easements are mostly registered (75% of the time). However, 25% of the time they are not.

It is estimated that there are about 33,000 unregistered mutual driveways (reciprocal easements) in the City of Toronto. So, you can't find them from a title search, but they are still there.

The concern here, is not the underlying information, but the question itself.