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Attorney missed liens in title search

Posted on 7/12/24 at 2:22 pm
Posted by Random MsState Fan
Member since Jun 2018
1668 posts
Posted on 7/12/24 at 2:22 pm
I own some land and am in the process of getting a construction loan to build on it. Title search came back with multiple liens against a previous owner (not the person I bought it from but the previous owner). The person I bought it from got a warranty deed when they closed which shows free and clear title. Now the lawyer I went through is showing multiple liens on the property.

My LO was saying we may have to go after the original attorney that did the title work but he wasn't sure.

Does anyone know what this process will look like? Supposed to have a conf call next week with my attorney and loan officer to sort things out but just trying to think through things ahead of time.
Posted by Ham Malone
Member since Nov 2010
2631 posts
Posted on 7/12/24 at 2:41 pm to
Do you have a title insurance policy?
Posted by soccerfüt
Location: A Series of Tubes
Member since May 2013
72512 posts
Posted on 7/12/24 at 2:57 pm to
quote:

Does anyone know what this process will look like?
I honestly don’t know.

What State is this in?
This post was edited on 7/12/24 at 2:58 pm
Posted by Random MsState Fan
Member since Jun 2018
1668 posts
Posted on 7/12/24 at 2:58 pm to
MS
Posted by Random MsState Fan
Member since Jun 2018
1668 posts
Posted on 7/12/24 at 2:58 pm to
Nope...
Posted by Wade Phillips
Member since Dec 2008
606 posts
Posted on 7/12/24 at 2:59 pm to
Before you go tossing bombs, make sure the debt is actually outstanding and not just old liens that a prior lazy title company failed to clear. Doubtful a loan from two owners ago is still unpaid.
Posted by soccerfüt
Location: A Series of Tubes
Member since May 2013
72512 posts
Posted on 7/12/24 at 3:04 pm to
<——Not a lawyer

It sounds like you’ll be OK (personally), you’ve got two entities between you and the liens.

Might take a while to unravel, civil matters can be that way.
Posted by Ham Malone
Member since Nov 2010
2631 posts
Posted on 7/12/24 at 3:06 pm to
Get a new lawyer and sue your old one for malpractice. He should’ve made sure the seller paid for the policy out of their proceeds and then you’d be able to make a claim in this scenario.
Posted by Random MsState Fan
Member since Jun 2018
1668 posts
Posted on 7/12/24 at 3:25 pm to
Here's where the messy situation gets even more messy....

I bought the land from a friend (I know, I know)... Well actually I bought half the land. We split it into two parcels and he still owns the other one. Our transaction was private sale. No attorneys. BUT When he bought it from the OG last December, they did things the right way
So I think we will be covered legally. I am just trying to get this cleared so I can start building.
Posted by LSU1018
Baton Rouge
Member since Feb 2007
7355 posts
Posted on 7/12/24 at 3:31 pm to
People on here make fun of title insurance all the time but this is the exact situation that covers it. You can try to go to original attorney but good luck getting them to do much without filing suit.
Posted by CalcuttaTigah
Member since Jul 2009
967 posts
Posted on 7/12/24 at 3:35 pm to
What is the value of the lien?
Posted by Random MsState Fan
Member since Jun 2018
1668 posts
Posted on 7/12/24 at 4:42 pm to
Like 30k in credit judgements. Alsoy repprt came back that another person had an interest in the property
Posted by SlowFlowPro
With populists, expect populism
Member since Jan 2004
463700 posts
Posted on 7/12/24 at 6:08 pm to
quote:

Here's where the messy situation gets even more messy....

I bought the land from a friend (I know, I know)

It's possible you may have to sue your friend so he can third party in the attorney who made the mistake. I'm not a MS lawyer, but I can see standing issues if you try to sue his lawyer directly (as you had no business with the attorney directly).

You need to speak to a MS attorney who does RE litigation (not just title opinions) .

This post was edited on 7/12/24 at 6:09 pm
Posted by TheOcean
#honeyfriedchicken
Member since Aug 2004
45042 posts
Posted on 7/12/24 at 6:30 pm to
No title insurance? Come on, man.
Posted by geauxpurple
New Orleans
Member since Jul 2014
16075 posts
Posted on 7/12/24 at 6:35 pm to
That is why you should always get title insurance. If you have it, you are covered. If not., good luck.

ETA some other thoughts -

How old are the judgments?
In Louisiana they expire in 10 years unless reinscribed.

I don't think you can go after the attorney for one of your ancestors in title, but if you bought the property with a warranty deed, I would look to the people who sold it to you and tell them that they warranted to you in the act that the title was good. And it wasn't.
This post was edited on 7/12/24 at 7:23 pm
Posted by Random MsState Fan
Member since Jun 2018
1668 posts
Posted on 7/12/24 at 6:38 pm to
Well the good thing about it is the friend still owns the other half of the land. So he does still have an interest in the property.

Either way. This is about to be one big headache
This post was edited on 7/12/24 at 6:39 pm
Posted by TheOcean
#honeyfriedchicken
Member since Aug 2004
45042 posts
Posted on 7/12/24 at 6:42 pm to
quote:

This is about to be one big very, very expensive headache


FIFY
Posted by LSU1018
Baton Rouge
Member since Feb 2007
7355 posts
Posted on 7/12/24 at 8:15 pm to
The lien is likely the least of your worries. Someone else having interest in the property is a much bigger issue. I hope your friend purchased Title Insurance or y’all are screwed.
Posted by jfw3535
South of Bunkie
Member since Mar 2008
5390 posts
Posted on 7/12/24 at 8:29 pm to
What state and how old are the liens? They're probably expired if suit wasn't timely filed to enforce the lien. If that's the case, it's a easy fix.
Posted by baldona
Florida
Member since Feb 2016
23251 posts
Posted on 7/13/24 at 6:23 am to
I hope this is a nothing burger.

But if it’s not, I hope you keep us updated as this has the ingredients for a complete mess
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