NYC Title Search FAQ

A title search examines public records to determine the legal ownership of a property, identify any liens or encumbrances, and verify that the seller has the legal right to transfer ownership. In NYC, this primarily involves searching ACRIS records, DOF tax data, and court records.

ACRIS (Automated City Register Information System) is NYC's official system for recording property transfer documents. It contains deeds, mortgages, satisfactions, liens, UCC filings, and other documents for Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx. Staten Island records are maintained separately by the Richmond County Clerk.

The chain of title is the sequence of ownership transfers from the original owner to the current owner, documented through recorded deeds. A clear chain of title — with no gaps, defects, or unresolved claims — is required for clean title transfer.

A title abstract is a comprehensive summary of all recorded documents affecting a property, organized chronologically. It includes deeds, mortgages, liens, judgments, and other encumbrances. RegWatch generates comprehensive title abstract reports from ACRIS data.

Title insurance protects against losses from defects in title that were not discovered during the title search — such as forged documents, undisclosed heirs, or recording errors. In NYC, most lenders require a lender's title policy, and buyers can purchase an owner's policy for additional protection.

Common liens include: tax liens (DOF), mortgage liens, mechanic's liens (unpaid contractors), ECB judgment liens (unpaid violation fines), federal/state tax liens (IRS/NYS), water/sewer liens (DEP), and lis pendens (pending lawsuits). All must be identified and addressed before closing.

No. ACRIS covers Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx only. Staten Island property records are maintained by the Richmond County Clerk and must be searched separately.

ACRIS digital records generally go back to 1966 for most document types in Manhattan and to various dates in the 1960s-1970s for other boroughs. For older records, the original paper documents may need to be searched at the County Clerk's office.

A lis pendens is a notice filed in ACRIS indicating that a lawsuit affecting the property is pending. This could be a foreclosure action, partition suit, or other legal proceeding. Lis pendens alerts potential buyers and lenders to the pending litigation.

A UCC (Uniform Commercial Code) filing records a security interest in property — similar to a mortgage but typically for fixtures, equipment, or cooperative apartment shares. UCC filings appear in ACRIS and should be reviewed as part of title due diligence.

Enter any NYC address into RegWatch to see complete ACRIS title history, including the chain of ownership, mortgages, liens, and other recorded documents. Our title abstract feature generates professional reports.

A satisfaction (or discharge) is a document recorded when a mortgage or lien is fully paid off. It releases the lien from the property. Missing satisfactions are a common title issue — the mortgage may be paid but the satisfaction was never recorded.

A mortgage assignment transfers the mortgage from one lender to another. This commonly occurs when loans are sold on the secondary market. The assignment is recorded in ACRIS and appears in the title chain.

Yes. Unpaid ECB fines can be docketed as judgment liens against the property. These liens appear in title searches and must be satisfied before clean title can pass to a buyer.

A title defect is any issue that prevents clean title transfer — gaps in the chain of ownership, unresolved liens, boundary disputes, recording errors, or competing claims to ownership. Title defects must be resolved or insured against before closing.

RegWatch generates comprehensive title abstract reports from ACRIS data, cross-referenced with DOF tax records, ECB liens, and other agency data. Our system identifies potential issues like unresolved liens, missing satisfactions, and ownership discrepancies.