Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers

Prepare lists of all legal instruments applying to a specific piece of land and the buildings on it.

Examine documentation such as mortgages, liens, judgments, easements, plat books, maps, contracts, and agreements to verify factors such as properties' legal descriptions, ownership, or restrictions.

Read search requests to ascertain types of title evidence required and to obtain descriptions of properties and names of involved parties.

Copy or summarize recorded documents, such as mortgages, trust deeds, and contracts, that affect property titles.

Examine individual titles to determine if restrictions, such as delinquent taxes, will affect titles and limit property use.

Prepare reports describing any title encumbrances encountered during searching activities and outlining actions needed to clear titles.

Verify accuracy and completeness of land-related documents accepted for registration, preparing rejection notices when documents are not acceptable.

Confer with realtors, lending institution personnel, buyers, sellers, contractors, surveyors, and courthouse personnel to exchange title-related information or to resolve problems.

Enter into record-keeping systems appropriate data needed to create new title records or to update existing ones.

Direct activities of workers who search records and examine titles, assigning, scheduling, and evaluating work, and providing technical guidance as necessary.