Menu
The Law Society of Ontario requires all lawyers, when acting for purchasers, to inform clients about title insurance and its advantages.Title Insurance is an insurance policy covering the condition of title or ownership of real property at the time the policy is issued and is used to provide ownership protection for a purchaser against losses or damages suffered as a result of title problems. Title insurance is obtained, typically by the purchaser’s lawyer prior to closing a purchase for the benefit of the purchaser.
Although title insurance has been standard in American real estate transactions, such insurance has gained popularity as part of the typical Ontario residential real estate purchase transaction.
Traditionally, Ontario purchasers have relied solely on their lawyer’s “legal opinion” that they have “good and marketable title” in order to confirm a clean title.
Unfortunately, no lawyer can completely assure a purchaser that there is absolutely no chance of an error in the government records, that there are no undisclosed claims, or that what appears to be the signature of the prior owner or consenting spouse is a true signature, there having been no prior fraud or forgery on title. Title Insurance can satisfy such “gaps” in a lawyer’s opinion to cover not only frauds or forgeries prior to closing but also after closing.
Title insurance does not replace the role of the lawyer. It simply provides an added level of protection for the purchaser(s). Ontario lawyers still must search title and certify the status of title before a title insurance policy can be issued.
Title insurance is golden for the consumer as it can be included in a purchaser’s total legal costs when one considers typical total legal fees and legal expenses, and since it is a form of NO-FAULT CERTIFICATION of clean title with (typically) NO DEDUCTIBLE and with more extensive coverages than the certification of title that has been traditionally provided by lawyers for real estate transactions.
Although several insurance companies have title insurance policy programs, Joshi Law Office is pleased to recommend to all of our client-purchasers, the PLATINUM TITLE INSURANCE POLICY by FIRST CANADIAN TITLE INSURANCE COMPANY with its substantial Canadian operations at its Oakville Ontario, head office. Our confidence in FIRST CANADIAN’S PLATINUM TITLE POLICY is greatest due to this company’s strong status as one of the largest world-wide title insuring companies with one of the highest available insurance company ratings and substantial local Canadian infrastructure for dealing with efficient processing of issuance of policies as well as processing of any claims.
The processing of your purchase transaction by our law offices includes arrangements for issuance to you of a FIRST CANADIAN PLATINUM HOME OWNERSHIP TITLE INSURANCE POLICY which will provide you with title protection. The lawyer’s role will be to provide purchasers with all required legal services and advice during the course of the transaction. The title insurance policy will be issued to purchasers directly from FIRST CANADIAN after completion of the purchase. Should any purchaser prefer another form or source of title protection, please inform our office in writing at least seven days prior to closing.
For a one-time premium (included in our quotation for fees and legal expenses), the policy protects the purchaser(s) and mortgage lender against losses suffered from matters set out below as well as other matters more specifically outlined in the policy:
In addition to policy coverage, the insured also receives:
The new PLATINUM title insurance policy replaces the GOLD Title Insurance Policy for policies issued after January 30, 2006 with expanded coverage. Title insurance will not typically cover pre-existing matters known to a buyer; fence issues; building inadequacies (which should be checked prior to closing by a home inspector during a home inspection condition) unless such inadequacies relate to a lack of building permit or city by-law compliance.
Because buying a home is such an important investment, you want assurance that title is yours “100%” (except for any mortgage). You don’t want to find out, after closing, that an old lien was never discharged, that the previous owners didn’t pay their property taxes, their utilities, or that someone has a claim against your land.
For residential real estate transactions with a purchase price of less than $500,000.00, a policy can be purchased for $150-$299 (depending on the type of residential property and whether there is a mortgage). This cost is largely offset by the cost of certain legal disbursements which are no longer required in title insured transactions. As municipalities continue to increase their fees for zoning, subdivision and tax searches, title insurance is becoming an increasingly competitive option.
When a vendor or purchaser wishes to close a transaction quickly, a policy of title insurance is often the best option. By eliminating some of the procedures otherwise required, a policy of title insurance can facilitate closings on very short notice.
Now all existing homeowners can obtain the same title insurance protection as a purchaser, including coverage against title frauds and a variety of other matters affecting title. Coverage provided is equal to the value of the insured pront of the policy amount.
All home buyers who have used the legal services of Joshi Law Office for any purchase file opened in our offices have automatically been title insured. If you are an existing home owner who was not provided with title insurance when you purchased your home and you are concerned about the current reports of real estate fraud and identity thefts of homeowners, you may now order title insurance for your existing home by reading the EXISTING OWNER TITLE INSURANCE page.
Phone FIRST CANADIAN TITLE at: 1-800-663-6777
Based in Oakville Ontario, First Canadian Title employs approximately 500 people from coast to coast. Its customers include more than 11,000 laywers and notaries nationwide, every major Canadian chartered bank,other lending institutions, real estate agents, mortgage brokers and builders.
