When you purchase a piece of real property, title insurance is almost always required by a lender to ensure that the person selling you the property owns the property being sold and that there are no legal claims against the property that would threaten your continued ownership of the property after your closing. At Smith Hoke, PLLC several of our attorneys are licensed by New York State as title insurance agents and are authorized to assist you in procuring title insurance at closing.
Unlike most types of insurance that protect you from an event that may occur in the future, title insurance protects you from events that have already occurred, but which you are not aware of at the time of closing. While these events are relatively rare, the cost of a loss of title could result in the loss of the property you are purchasing while your obligation to continue paying your mortgage remains. Because of the severe risks associated with the loss of title, our attorneys always recommend that you purchase more than the minimum coverage the bank requires, but also sufficient coverage to cover you in the event of a loss.
Our attorneys can assist you in procuring title insurance even if you are using a different attorney for your closing. If a lender is requiring you to purchase title insurance it is illegal to require that you to purchase insurance from a particular agent or insurer. Please feel free to use the online form if you would like to have us assist you in procuring title insurance. If you are an existing client, there is no need to complete this form.