What things are excluded from my standard title insurance policy coverage?

Mainly, title insurance excludes all events that happen after the title insurance became effective. These include unrecorded or recorded title defects that you knew about and allowed to happen.

In addition, a standard title insurance policy will not cover:

• Restrictive contracts or covenants that limit your use of the property or which indicate what structures are to be built on the property
• Zoning and building ordinance violations, as well as rules and regulations that have to do with the use of the land, land improvements, the division of the land and environmental protections
• The homestead, survivorship or community property rights of the spouse on the property
• Land that has been condemned, unless this was announced on public record before or at the time the policy was issued.
• Rights claimed by those occupying the land, such as renters
• Title defects that result from a bankruptcy estate or from a deceased person's estate
• The exercise of access to water or minerals. This will happen when others have a claim or the right to access a body of water, such as a stream or a river that is flowing through your property
• Unpaid taxes that were incurred during the year the policy became effective
• Unpaid taxes from previous owners who claimed for tax exemptions and that resulted to more taxes being assessed on your property

• I am refinancing my mortgage. Do I need to purchase a new title insurance policy?
• Do I need extended title insurance coverage for bare land?
• Is there a way for me to save on my title insurance fees?
• At what instances should I get extended coverage on title insurance?
• What value does a real estate lawyer add on top of title insurance?