These reports are so popular in New Jersey that I now have attorneys requesting them for people who live in Pennsylvania, but own investment properties in New Jersey.  New Jersey has a unified judgment system so judgments are  recorded centrally in the state and are enforcable in all 21 counties.  In PA, judgments are in the various county Prothonataries offices, so a state report would involve searches in all the counties.  The state of New Jersey has its own public access to its court records now and there are some competing companies out there doing the same kinds of reports.  More often now they are referred to as "Upper Court" seaches.  First American has a national service which also does this, but it is very expensive.  I believe these reports have spoiled the attorneys and they are now asking for extra things such as pending court cases.  That all starts to get to the point that they are looking for us to run credit, not just a title report.  When it starts to cross that line, I advise them to run a credit report as title concerns itself with judgments that affect only the real estate parcel to be insured.  We really don't care if there is a judgment for unpaid taxes on a Pocono vacation home when we are insuring a house down at the Jersey Shore.

to post a reply: login - or - register