Real estate is highly valuable when compared with almost any other kind of property. Therefore, there is a major incentive for people to steal it or make fraudulent representations about their ownership of a property. Even if someone doesn’t want a specific piece of land, they could use it as leverage for mortgage and pocket the money.
The state maintains official title records to reduce fraud, but those records can sometimes lead to issues. Inaccurate title records can hinder an owner’s actions taken with their rightful property.
Title issues range from mistakes to ownership claims
Title disputes may involve someone bringing an active claim against the property and saying that they should actually be the owner. Title defects involve some kind of blemish on the official record.
The courts often have to make a decision in situations involving a title claim based on the records provided by the state and the individuals involved. How do they help owners trying to address a title defect not embroiled in an active claim?
New Jersey courts allow quiet title proceedings
Property owners can request a hearing in the civil courts to resolve title issues. Quiet title hearings allow a homeowner to present a judge with evidence about a problem with the official title record for the property. The judge can then remove a blemish that might prevent an owner from transferring their property the way that they would like.
An owner hoping to remove a blemish, like a lien that they have already paid in full, will need evidence of their ownership and of the inaccuracy of the lien or other issue. Proof of payments or deeds that should have been recorded but were not can help someone correct the title records for a property and move forward with a transaction.
Understanding how the New Jersey courts help you address title issues can make it easier to resolve one when it arises.