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Source of Title Blog

So, You Want To Be An Abstractor?
by Robert Franco | 2007/07/16 |

As the host of Source of Title for the past four years, the question I get asked the most is "how do I become a title abstractor?" I guess it's the glamor of the profession that attracts so many people to the profession. My first thought is always "WHY!?" I will address that question later, first I'll share my opinion on what it takes to lean to abstract titles.

There are no short-cuts to learning how to be an abstractor - it takes on-the-job training with an experienced abstractor. The duration of the training is nothing concrete, but I would suggest that it would take a minimum of three to six months before you should be completing searches on your own. Even after that, it is important to have a good mentor that you can ask questions. And, you will have many questions. No matter how long an abstractor has been working in the business, they always come across something new. That is one reason it is so tough to learn to be an abstractor. It's not so much knowing how to abstract - its knowing what an abstractor should do when they find something they have never seen before and recognizing the situation when it arises.
 

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When we train a new employee abstractor, we have them shadow an experienced abstractor for at least three months and after that we still review their work closely and explain new concepts to them.

It is also very important for an abstractor to be familiar with the state's real estate laws. If your state has title standards promulgated by the bar association, they are a "must read." In Ohio, we also rely heavily on a book published by the Ohio Land Title Association, Principles of Ohio Real Estate Titles, now in the fourth edition. An abstractor should be very familiar with any resources on the subject. For more on this, see a previous post from February - The Red Book.

There is a common misconception in this business that it's easy. You just have to report the deeds, mortgages and any liens that affect the title. But, its really more complicated than that. To do the search, you have to know who has an interest in the property so you can search them in the indices. That requires that the abstractor be able to determine the validity of the documents. You can't just assume that because it was filed it is a valid document.

For example, we recently did a search that showed the two most recent transfers as a transfer on death (TOD) deed, and an affidavit of death to transfer the interest to the TOD beneficiaries. Upon examining the TOD deed, we noted that the deed only conveyed a one-half interest. According to the Ohio Revised Code section that deals with the TOD deeds, the interest must be the "entire separate interest" of the grantor. Thus, we were able to determine that the deed was void and title was actually still vested in the estate of the grantor. For more on this transaction see Avoid The Use Of The Transfer On Death Deed.

Another sticky situation is knowing when an encumbrance on an adjacent parcel affects the title to your subject property. For instance, an appurtenant easement granting access to your parcel may require a limited search of the adjacent parcel to determine the validity of the easement. Because title insurance insures access, it is important to make sure that the easement is enforceable.

The most troubling aspect of abstracting for new abstractors is probably pending suits, i.e. foreclosures and probate cases. Was everyone with an interest in the property properly served notice? When does lis pendens attach? Were the proper taxes and fees paid? Not all interests in property are neatly conveyed by deed, some are transferred or extinguished by court order or operation of law.

These are but a few of the aspects to searching titles that new abstractors need to understand. They are not simple concepts, but they are important.

Over the past several years online courses have popped up on the Internet promising to teach you everything you need to know to become an abstractor. Some even promise you clients when you complete the course. However, real estate laws vary significantly from state to state and an online course cannot possibly prepare you for this line of work, nor the liability the abstractor has in performing his duties.

And, that brings me to the "WHY." Why would anyone want to get into this business right now? One of the biggest complaints that abstractors have is the low fees that are paid for their work. Abstractors are extremely under-compensated for the amount of liability they assume in their duties. There has been a trend of declining fees for past few years, in some cases the fees are actually lower than they were 10 years ago. Yet, the operating expenses of abstractors have been increasing significantly - gas prices and errors and omissions insurance are two such examples.

When you factor in the liability, along with the increase in operating costs and the low fees, abstracting is not all that appealing. Take for example a court case from 2004, Fidelity National Title Insurance Company v. Suburban West Abstractors. An abstractor was held liable for a $176,000 loss incurred by Fidelity after it settled with a creditor who held a $380,000 judgment missed by the abstractor. The abstractor's fee for the search was only $25. The abstractor had a disclaimer on the search limiting its liability to the $25 paid for the search, and also argued that its fee sheet limited its liability under their E&O insurance to $10,000. The court held the disclaimers to be invalid. For more on this case, see the Source of Title article Searcher Owes Insurer For Missed Judgement.

The second largest complaint, behind the low fees, is the difficulty abstractors have actually getting paid for their services. There are numerous complaints about several companies on the Source of Title forums that companies do not pay their abstractors. It is customary for abstractors to bill at the end of the month with NET30 terms. By the time the first invoice is due, the abstractor has completed 2 months worth of work. Some clients run up bills with their abstractors and when the abstractor ceases to complete more work, they simply switch abstractors. In some cases, the clients change their name and start over again.

So, in addition to being a profession that many abstractors must invest considerable time and effort in learning, they have to deal with an extraordinary amount of potential liability for very little compensation and they bear a substantial risk of not getting paid at all. Before you decide you want to become an abstractor, you need to be sure you know what you are doing and you must be willing to dedicate a considerable amount of time to keeping on top of your collections.

So you still want to be an abstractor? Can you accept the fact that you will always be learning new things and you could potentially be liable for hundreds of thousands of dollars for a search you were only paid $25 to complete? When you look at the facts, there are certainly other professions that are easier to master, with less liability and more profit potential... McDonald's comes to mind, but I'm sure there are others.

Robert A. Franco
SOURCE OF TITLE
rfranco@sourceoftitle.com
 




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Categories: Abstractors

1766 words | 52430 views | 3 comments | log in or register to post a comment


I guess I should also point out tha...
I guess I should also point out that if you still aren't "cured" of wanting to become an abstractor there are a couple of things you will need to check into. First, you will need to determine if abstractors are required to be registered or licensed in your state. There are probably about 10 states that do require it. Because each state is different, you may want to inquire with your state's land title association or the state department of insurance; they can probably point you in the right direction.

Second, you should definitely get E&O insurance. Though it is not required in all states - it would be fool-hearty to risk working without it. E&O insurance can cost anywhere from $1,000 to $7,000 or more. It will depend on the amount of work you do and your experience.

Robert A. Franco
SOURCE OF TITLE
rfranco@sourceoftitle.com
 
by Robert Franco | 2007/07/16 | log in or register to post a reply

love my job but I thought it was just me that feels as thou we are being used as an escape goat

Thank you Robert A. Franco. I have been searching for about 35 years and love my job but I thought it was just me that feels as thou we are being used as an escape goat for larger companies that need someone to fall back on for the liabilities regardless if you have E & O or not. The pay we receive for searches has not changed much during that time but the liability has increased significantly. A company I worked for had a law suit that was caused by an error in the index at the Clerk of Courts Office. The E & O paid and the case was dismissed but this still makes the searcher look bad regardless. The county offices are not liable for their errors nor do they admit responsibility for such. This is a shame that we can no longer do our work without worrying about having a law suit hanging over our head. Somehow the stress is not worth the rewards.

 
by Barbara Smith | 2014/03/18 | log in or register to post a reply

Abstracting is hard but can be cool!
I am not independent, but I am a title abstractor for a small law firm in NC that deals with Real Estate sales.

I graduated college with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice, a minor in Psychology, and absolutely no prior experience in law or in real estate in general. I was hired because of higher education and the promise that I could learn. Which I did, and still do.

I began working at a law in the summer of 2014, and am still employed with the same firm. Title abstracting, as the article has pointed out, really is difficult work to wrap your mind around. And you truly are having to learn something new every day.

The upside to doing this type of work as an employee of a law firm is that I do not have to pay for E & O insurance myself. As an employee rather than contractor, my employer pays for this. I work a full schedule, am paid a not great, but decent salary, and the liabilities described in the article are relevant to my employer rather than myself with regard to lawsuits and claims. With that said, I do my best to locate the issues that could potentially lead to insurance claims.

The good news about title insurance companies is that they LOVE it when you ask questions. Doesn't matter silly it may seem at the moment, but if you find something you don't understand, reach out to the title companies, explain the situations, and ask for their advice. Saves a lot of heartache for you, and potential claims for them later.

Also, it takes a special type of person for this line of work. Not only must you learn how your states RE laws relate to property titles, you must also enjoy puzzles. Because property research is just like a puzzle sometimes. You may be researching a tract of land containing 2.00 acres, which originally came from a 200.00 acre tract. And the 200 acre tract may have been subdivided into 20 different parcels. You need to be able to determine that your 2.00 acre parcel was not previously conveyed to someone else before it landed in your client's hands, or that a spouse conveyed interest after a divorce (depending on your state; in NC, spouses have marital interest in real property, even if their names are not on the deed, whereas in MS, oly the deed owner has an interest, not the spouse unless they are on the deed) .... there are plenty of errors in real estate deeds that can lead to clouded titles.... Those are real fun (not joking, I love it!)
 
by Ashley Bonds | 2019/09/10 | log in or register to post a reply
Source of Title Blog

Robert A. FrancoThe focus of this blog will be on sharing my thoughts and concerns related to the small title agents and abstractors. The industry has changed dramatically over the past ten years and I believe that we are just seeing the beginning. As the evolution continues, what will become of the many small independent title professionals who have long been the cornerstone of the industry?

Robert A. Franco
SOURCE OF TITLE

 

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