Earlier this summer, CourthouseDirect.com conducted an informational webinar about grantor/grantee index essentials. During this session, our team covered the significance of these indexes and showed clients how to use the features of our website efficiently. Because it has been a while since we last discussed grantor/grantee indexes, we think it would be good to review the highlights as a refresher.
Here are the top 5 highlights from the webinar:
1. How is the CourthouseDirect.com index better than normal county indexes?
Typical county grantor/grantee indexes provide vague information, which often causes more confusion rather than the clarity most researchers desire. For example, one must search for grantors and grantees separately, while the indexes at CourthouseDirect.com give an opportunity to combine the searches into a single list of results. This is helpful for users because they have an opportunity to see everything the name in question bought and sold in one place, rather than trying to operate two separate searches simultaneously.
2. Less is more – how does this concept apply in grantor/grantee searches?
When searching indexes, the goal is to get as many results as possible. Therefore, the more specific your search is, the more limited the results, which isn’t necessarily a good thing concerning grantor/grantee searches. For example, someone searching for Jonathan Whitfield gets better results when they only search for Jon Whitfield. Inconsistencies exist within the database, so conducting your search accordingly is important.
3. You can not always rely on County Clerk Legal Descriptions and Document Types
Although county clerks meticulously index their documents, different clerks do their jobs differently. They usually rely solely on the heading of the document to classify, which leads to inconsistencies. To accurately describe and classify a document, it must be read thoroughly to identify the language use and other key factors. County clerks do not always have the time to examine each individual document extensively, so their records are not always correct.
4. Why is it important to remember the grantor as plaintiff and the grantee as defendant is an exception in Bexar and El Paso Counties?
Because of the exception in these two counties, it is important to search both grantor and grantee indexes together. It is possible for the names to get switched, which means searches are more difficult to conduct. With CourthouseDirect.com, the confusion is eliminated since our database includes both parties during a single search. Concerning liens, it’s especially important for the researcher to personally examine the document before drawing any conclusions about the grantor or grantee.
5. What do I search to find deed restrictions?
To find deed restrictions in a specific area, input the grantee’s name, not the grantor’s, to find the right results.
Although this only covers a small portion of our webinar, we hope the advice helps you conduct more efficient searches in the future. Learning how to navigate grantor/grantee indexes can be challenging, but the team at CourthouseDirect.com works to make the process as stress-free and straightforward as possible.
If you missed the Grantor/Grantee 101 Webinar, you can watch it on demand here!
