Tax sale glossary
Title insurance
Insurance against covered losses from defects in property title. The policy states its coverage, exclusions and exceptions. An owner’s policy protects the insured owner; a lender’s policy protects the lender’s interest.
Go deeper: Title insurance after a tax deed.
Sources
Statutes, court decisions and reference material used on this page. Laws and fees change, so confirm against the current source before you act.
- Title Insurance · California Department of Insurance · Checked
Related terms
- Title search
- A review of public records to identify property ownership and recorded claims, such as mortgages, liens and easements. Order the search before bidding and ask what records and dates it covers. A search does not itself provide insurance.
- Insurable title
- Title an insurer is willing to cover under a particular policy, with stated conditions and exceptions. Coverage can exclude a known claim, so read the actual policy and ask what protection remains after any tax-sale exception.
- Marketable title
- Title without reasonable doubt that would interfere with a sale or expose the buyer to a probable competing claim. Marketability depends on the law and the transaction. It differs from insurable title, which concerns the coverage an insurer offers.
- Quiet title action
- A lawsuit asking a court to resolve competing claims to property title. The judgment’s effect depends on the claims, parties, notice and governing law. A successful action does not promise that every lien disappears or that an insurer will issue unrestricted coverage.
Tax Sale Atlas publishes educational information about public tax sale processes. This is not legal, financial, or investment advice. Rules, dates, and fees change; confirm with the county office before you bid.
See the term in a real sale
Open a state to watch these concepts play out in an actual sale calendar and rule set.