When people think about a law firm that handles real estate issues, they probably imagine work that largely involves sales and transfers. Those are certainly big parts of real estate legal services, but they're far from the entirety of what an attorney can do for you. Here are four more things you can discuss at a real estate law firm.
Property Line Disputes
The boundaries for all properties in the U.S. are located at the registers for each of the counties. Your property's file typically includes information acquired from every survey conducted since the region was formally incorporated into the country. This usually includes information about what the boundaries are. A real estate legal service can help you find this information.
If a property line dispute emerges, the standard remedy is to review the data for the two adjoining properties. Surveyors will then use the data to determine where the property line is, and they'll place markers into the ground.
Easements
Whether you're looking to set up an easement or dealing with an existing one, that's a job for a real estate legal services provider. Easements are statements that provide someone the benefit of the use of another's property or permission to engage in nuisance behavior. For example, your next-door neighbor might need an easement to move stuff across your property. Similarly, a nearby business that exceeds the noise ordinance might compensate you in exchange for an easement that allows their noisy activities to continue.
Easements need to be configured competently. You don't want to create one that lasts in perpetuity. Likewise, you want the terms to be highly specific so as not to invite abuse.
Subdivision
Particularly with large properties, there may be some advantages to breaking it into smaller pieces. Subdividing properties is a good way to see portions of them. Likewise, there may be zoning benefits if, for example, you have a business on one portion of it. Down the road, if you decide to sell the business but keep your home, previously subdividing the property will make it easier to sell.
Title Fraud
While most real estate legal services work is fairly mundane, title fraud is a growing problem. This is when someone maliciously takes possession of a property by misrepresenting their interest in it. It often goes undetected until someone goes to the country register to do work on a property only to discover it has been, for example, illegally posted as collateral for a loan. A law firm can help you remedy title fraud if it happens.
For more information about real estate legal services, contact a local law firm.
Share19 October 2020
