Also known as an abstract plant, a title plant is a compilation of all instruments of record that may impact the title of real property. Title plants extend back 25 years or more, and include images or indices (the plural of index) of all instruments filed with the county, court records (i.e., records of bankruptcy and probate), attorney opinions, and more.
Title plants are important tools for title companies and agents, attorneys, investors, developers, builders, real estate agents, and banks. They give in-depth overviews of critical information regarding a tract of land, and reduce the cost to produce title insurance. Learn the features of a title plant to understand this tool more completely.
Multiple Indices and Maps
For title plants to be effective, they must combine enormous amounts of data. Title plants achieve this by compiling multiple indices, organized alphabetically according to name. Indices in a title plant include, but are not limited to:
- Abstracts of judgment
- Attachment liens
- Chattel mortgages
- Deeds and deeds of trust
- Divorce actions
- Federal tax liens
- Mechanic’s liens
- Mortgages
- Pending legal actions
- Plat or map records
- Probate records
In the past, county clerks kept title plant indices by hand. Today, title plants are digitized and stored in a computer, and must be maintained to the most current date. It is possible to find title plant indices online by referencing the description of the property you wish to search.
Metes and Bounds
Maps in a title plant may include parcels, subdivisions, and metes and bounds. Metes and bounds refer to the prose description of a tract of land. Metes and bounds are the accepted standard for describing land, real estate, and real property. This system uses the physical features, directions, orientations, and distances to describe the boundaries of a piece of land. A metes and bounds description goes over the parcel of land in sequence, beginning and ending at the same point.
Online Data Standardization
When you look up a title plant, you’ll find a document with source images and recorder indices, available via internal data entry. The modernization of title plant storage now allows for cross-referencing multiple data sets. This means you can compare multiple documents to find information about a parcel of land. You can also receive parcel validation using map edits. The enhanced search process gives users multiple ways to find title plants today, including:
- Direct search. In some counties, lawyers or title companies can go directly to county records to conduct a title search. In other counties, title companies have their own title plants in office.
- Title plant examination. A title examiner can conduct a search from his or her company’s own title plant records. These records contain duplicates of public records, reorganized in fashion more useful to the company. Since the advent of title insurance, title plant examinations are often used in metropolitan areas.
- Title examination. After a search, a title officer can obtain copies of all pertinent documents relating to a property. It is then the officer’s duty to examine these documents and decide who owns the property and whether any defects or encumbrances exist.
Other features of a title plant include mining claims, mineral rights, acreage tracking, and fraud alerts. Title plants are important to keep track of tracts of land, make necessary corrections, and maintain an accurate land record across the country. They are critical components of the title insurance industry, and enable the reduction of consumer costs through optimized operational efficiency. Understanding the features and search options for title plants can put you in control of legal matters regarding a piece of land, and help you expand your business.
