The Attorney's Guide to Reviewing the Chain of Title, Legal Descriptions, and More

Agenda / Content Covered

1. Reviewing the Chain of Title and Legal Descriptions
   10:00 — 11:00, William Hoffmeyer, Michael Pallamary
   1. Building the Chain of Title
   2. Name Indexes and Property Indexes
   3. Reviewing Deeds
   4. Reading Legal Descriptions and Plot Maps
   5. Reviewing Foreclosure Documents, Death Certificates, Judgements, etc.
   6. Separated Rights and Fractional Interests
   7. Resolving Breaks in the Chain of Title
2. Easements and Liens
   11:00 — 11:30, William Hoffmeyer
   1. Recorded Easements and Restrictive Covenants
   2. Mortgages
   3. Outstanding Tax Liens
   4. Judgment Liens
   5. Mechanic's Liens
   6. HOA Liens
   7. Child Support and Other Liens
   8. Identifying Unenforceable and Fraudulent Liens
3. Pre- and Post-Foreclosure Title Issues
   11:45 — 12:30, Elizabeth Dupuis
4. "Hidden" Issues the Title Search May Not Reveal
   12:30 — 1:15, Elizabeth Dupuis
   1. Fraud and Forgeries
   2. Competence Issues
   3. Clerical and Filing Errors
   4. Lack of Access
   5. Improvements Located on an Easement
   6. Adverse Possession and Prescriptive Easement Claims
   7. Boundary Line Issues
   8. Missing Heirs, Wills, and Other Estate-Related Problems

Accreditation Details:

Elizabeth A Dupuis is a managing shareholder of the State College office of Babst, Calland, Clements and Zomnir, P.C., where her practice is focused upon residential and commercial real estate transactions, commercial development, business planning and formation, commercial and contract litigation, and estate planning and administration. Ms. Dupuis also serves as solicitor for Patton Township in Centre County, and Boggs Township in Clearfield County. She is a licensed title agent in Pennsylvania and conducts residential and commercial real estate closings through MidState Closing Company, an affiliate of Babst, Calland, Clements and Zomnir, P.C. Ms. Dupuis is a member of the Centre County, Pennsylvania and American bar associations. She is admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Western and Middle districts of Pennsylvania and the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. Ms. Dupuis earned her B.S. degree from the Pennsylvania State University and her J.D. degree from the University of Pittsburgh.

 

William F Hoffmeyer is CEO and founder of the law firm of Hoffmeyer & Semmelman LLC, concentrating his practice on real estate and zoning law, corporate law, estate planning and probate law, and elder law. He also acts as an expert witness throughout Pennsylvania on matters pertaining to real estate law, including attorney and title insurance agent malpractice. Mr. Hoffmeyer has spoken for various organizations on real estate law and the unauthorized practice of law. He wrote The Abstracters Bible, Contracts of Sale for Real Estate and How to Plot a Deed and Settlement Procedures Manual. Mr. Hoffmeyer is a member of the York County (former chairman, Continuing Legal Education Committee; current chairman, Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee), Pennsylvania (chairman and co-chairman, Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee; past chairman, Mechanics' Lien Law Committee and Marketable Title Committee of the Real Property Section) and American bar associations; and the American College of Real Estate Lawyers. He is only the sixth recipient of the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Pennsylvania Bar Medal recognizing his endeavors in the fight against the unauthorized practice of law and was listed and recognized as Lawyer of Distinction in the New York Times. Mr. Hoffmeyer earned his A.B. degree from Franklin and Marshall College and his J.D. degree from The Dickinson School of Law.

Michael J Pallamary is the president of Pallamary & Associates of La Jolla. He is a founding member of the Land Surveyors Advisory Council on Technical Standards and a recognized expert on “Standard of Care” defenses and litigation matters. He is the author of The Curt Brown Chronicles, along with Lay of the Land and the co-author of Advanced Land Descriptions written with the late Paul Cuomo and the late Roy Minnick. Mr. Pallamary is also the co-author of History of San Diego Land Surveying Experiences with the late Curtis M. Brown. He writes two monthly columns for The American Surveyor magazine. His most recent article on the United States Supreme Court decree on the boundary between the federal government and the state of California has generated considerable discussion regarding the proper methods to be employed in establishing water boundaries. Mr. Pallamary has performed numerous boundary surveys along the California coastline and is actively involved in contested matters from Coronado to Half Moon Bay. Mr. Pallamary was established and mapped out littoral lines throughout Southern California, the majority of which are located in La Jolla, California. He has also established riparian lines in Laguna Niguel and Malibu. Mr. Pallamary has extensive experience as an expert witness in local, regional and federal courts testifying as to the preparation and interpretation of land survey maps, water boundaries, and related areas of practice. He has testified in more than 75 trials and has been retained as an expert witness in more than 100 cases across the state of California. Mr. Pallamary has been in the land surveying profession since 1971 and he is a frequent lecturer at conferences, seminars and universities.