Buying a house or commercial property begins a new phase of a family’s life or a businesses lifecycle. It can mean growth, change, fulfillment and more; however, this turning of a page can quickly become stressful if it’s met with an unexpected financial price. Any sense of joy gained from taking that next step can be brought to an abrupt halt with a simple word; unrecorded.

Unrecorded liens are the result of an issue that cropped up long before the potential new property owner put in an offer. Here’s how it can happen: a code violation is put in place against the property owner. If not cleared up, this violation can result in a financial fine. If the fine goes unpaid as well a lien may be placed on the property. The lien’s debt adheres to the property, not the property owner. At the time of sale, if the potential new owner does not find this unrecorded lien and purchases the property, it is often too late for financial restitution. To clear the lien, the new owner must pay off the debt.

Unrecorded liens become financial burdens on new property owners everyday, through no fault of the new owners. The only thing they are remiss in doing is completing an unrecorded lien search.

Search for Unrecorded Liens

Having to pay off someone else’s debt can be a difficult pill to swallow especially with all of the added stress that comes with purchasing real property including finding the perfect property, financing, closing paperwork and moving. Avoiding this situation at all costs is ideal.

To avoid being left holding the bag on an unrecorded lien, you, your real estate agent, broker, or attorney should do the research to find unrecorded liens. A reputable lien search company cannot only find recorded but also unrecorded liens. These types of companies do the legwork and perform the searches necessary to discover if there are any outstanding liens on the property.

Using an online lien search provider, a new owner can be assured their property is free and clear of all liens. A lien search can be purchased quickly and easily online. Once a search is ordered, status updates can be viewed through a client portal. When complete, the reports provided include an easy to read summary report.

If there are outstanding or unrecorded liens on the property, you or the agent working on your behalf can contact the property owner to inform them that the lien needs to be cleared up before closing can commence.

Once the liens are cleared and the offer is ready then you can securely move forward with the purchase of the property with confidence and ease!

About Florida Municipal Lien Search (FLMS)

Florida Municipal Lien Search, LLC is a privately owned and operated company providing title agents, attorneys, and realtors with unrecorded and municipal lien searches for all of the cities and counties in the State of Florida. Florida Municipal Lien Search conducts searches for municipal and county liens, unrecorded utility services, code enforcement violations, code enforcement liens, property taxes and special assessments. Founded on the principals of honesty and integrity, FMLS strives to make each and every client a long term, ongoing relationship. For more information, visit https://floridamunicipalliensearch.com or call 321-325-6255.