Can They Put A Mechanics Lien on A House?

The answer is yes. If you are reading this you may have been involved in construction at a specific time—either as a contractor or as a property owner. You may have come across the legal document known as the mechanical lien, but what does it mean? We discuss:

A mechanical lien is generally a legal claim against a property by a subcontractor or a supplier, in case your house has been improved or remodeled and they have not received the necessary compensation from the general contractor. For example, if a part of your house is remodeled and the supplier of the materials is not paid by the general contractor a mechanical lien can be placed on your house to recover the money.

Depending on where you live a mechanical lien can go by other names like property lien or construction lien. The problem with mechanical liens is that they tend to “travel with the land” this means that you may buy a house but are forced to pay for improvements that you did not authorize or had no knowledge of. It is therefore advisable that you have a professional do a title search especially if you are using a loan to buy the property.

Why You Need to Do a Title Search

When trying to buy a home you need to decide on whether to buy title insurance or not. But before closing in on a piece of property, you will probably need to do a title search. At Heights Title Services we have qualified professionals who do this for you. A title search is required for the following reasons:

• We help uncover any issues concerning the property.

• We offer solutions for the identified issues with the help of insurance professionals.

• We help you understand if any previous charges had been placed on the property.

However, all this can only be done by attaining a title insurance policy for your property. This is basically a policy that protects property buyers against financial loss from problems with the title where there is a transfer of property. It is important that you get the insurance policy since it equips the lender with knowledge and understanding about the property at hand.

The coverage on this policy, however, depends on whether you have an owner’s policy or a lender’s policy. A lender’s policy is usually taken if you took a loan to cover for the expenses of buying the home. It covers up to the amount that was loaned out to you in case of problems with the title.

An owner’s policy is usually taken up by people who pay for the property in cash. It is normally done by homeowners who want to find out information about the property before buying. This policy compensates up to the amount paid for the home. A range of problems are covered in this policy some of which include:

• Deed omissions.
• Forgery.
• Mistakes in the public record.
• And tax liens.

After closing the deal, it is still possible to purchase a title insurance policy, but we recommend that you take one before closing the deal. This enables you to identify problems that may come up that are not covered in the policy so that you can back out.

About Us

It is recommended that when buying a piece of property, you do a thorough title search to avoid future losses that may arise from the property. So why not hire professionals? If you need to purchase a title insurance, Height Title Services is the place for you. Contact us today on 239-596-5148 for more information.