It is incredible how our Company and industry protect the American dream of homeownership. Our roots go all the way back to 1876 when the first title insurance company was formed — Real Estate Title Insurance Company. It was in that same year they issued the first modern day title policy. Since then title companies have protected property owner's rights and the integrity of the public record system. This story is an excellent example of how title examiners do just that.

A title order was placed with Tracy Smith, with the Fidelity National Title Group in Philadelphia. It was a loan only transaction where the Company would insure the lender's mortgage. The property was free and clear, and the current owner was a Limited Liability Company (LLC) who acquired title in 2015 by an uninsured deed. Prior to that, the last time a transfer of title was insured was in 1927.

The length of time caused Tracy to pull the deeds for further review. In 1927 a man deeded the property to his wife. Eighty years later, in 2007, the wife transferred title to a man named Ruben for $5,000. Ruben sold the property in 2015 for $6,100 to the LLC currently in title. Tracy was uncomfortable with her findings so she forwarded her search and documents to Jon Effner, Underwriting Counsel.

Jon reviewed Tracy's examination report. The property was a vacant lot between two buildings. One of the buildings adjacent to the lot was all boarded up. He agreed with Tracy's concerns and decided he would dig further in order to confirm their suspicions.

Jon turned to the internet and a website called Ancestry.com where he searched for information about the wife who was the grantee on the last insured transaction in 1927. He found her on the website and discovered she was born in 1877. This means she would have been 130 years old in 2007 when she deeded the property to Ruben. Amazing!

Jon contacted the title agent to notify them the Company was declining to insure a new loan and notified the Operations & Title Production Manager, Denis Golden, who nominated Tracy for a $1,500 reward. Tracy followed sound title examination procedures in order to identify a potential forgery.

Although the property was a vacant lot, it appeared the property was increasing in value. In 2016 the Office of Property Assessment valued the property at $9,400 and the 2017 market value at $63,200. If it is true there was a forgery in the chain of title, the proposed insured lender's lien could be deemed invalid resulting in a full claim to our Company. Tracy's efforts perpetuated the industry's historic mission to protect the integrity of the public record system and resulted in her receiving a $1,500 reward. Great job Tracy!