Property Ownership – How Do You Find Out Who Owns A Property?

It is a very heated topic these days that how do you find out who owns a property?

It will not be a mystery anymore because we will unlock the secret in this blog. 

Researching and finding out who owns a property was tedious, but now it can be aided by the Ontario Land Records Portal, On Land, and many other sources. This article explains how to investigate who owns a property and that too free. 

You’re not the only one looking for ownership information on real estate: Each day; thousands search for how to find out who owns a property. Even though the lake cabin you’ve been eyeing for years has yet to be listed on the MLS, you might still want to submit an offer. Or maybe you’ve noticed a cute house with a “For Sale By Owner” sign; you’re intrigued, but you want to be sure you’re dealing with the real deal. 

Speak with a Real Estate Lawyer

Finding out who owns the property might be challenging if it is owned by an LLC or if there is a probate issue regarding it. A real estate lawyer may be able to identify the cause of your difficulty and uncover ownership in cases when you cannot seem to determine who the rightful owner is. Undoubtedly, this is a more costly choice than conducting your own records search and not a free way to find out who owns a property. But it might be worth a try if you’re truly stuck.

Public Databases – How do you find out who owns a property for free? 

The simplest method to ascertain the owner of a property is through a title search, as this is publicly available information. The question has been asked many times that How do you find out who owns a property for free? Naturally, your real estate attorney would typically conduct a title search if you have a contract to buy a house. You can still perform one independently, though, if you’re not. Unbelievably, you may find out who currently owns the property for free by doing a quick online search for the address. If you need help, you can investigate alternative open spaces.

Get a Copy of the Parcel Register

A Parcel Register is a high-level overview displaying the history, solvency, and ownership of the land where you can find out about the ownership of a property. It consists of any charges, releases, transfers, or other paperwork that impacts a specific property listed in the Province of Ontario Land Registration Information System. It seems that we are learning more about “How do you find out who owns a property?” 

Remember: A Parcel Register is a key element of a Property Title Search, different from one. A Property Title Search will look through any registered documents and blueprints besides the Parcel Register.

Ontario Land Registry Access

Teranet Property & Registration Services’ OnLand is Ontario’s virtual Land Registry Office (LRO). The website is self-serve and accessible to the general public, giving you access to Parcel Registers. Finding out who the beneficial owner of the property is, does not guarantee that you will obtain a copy of the land transfer documentation. Although the “title holder” will be visible to you, they might not be the actual owner of the property. For instance, the beneficial owner’s name may be hidden when a numbered Ontario business, such as “123456 Ontario Inc.,” is listed.

Teranet

What is Teranet & How It Can Help You Find About The Ownership Of Property?

The commercial corporation Teranet was established in 1991 and runs the Province of Ontario’s electronic registration system. One of Canada’s biggest defined benefit pension plans, Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS), is the company’s owner. OMERS is a public pension system in Canada by which you can find out the details of who owns the property and is enjoying it. 

(In exchange for a $1 billion upfront payment that would be used to pay down the province’s debt and begin annual royalty payments in 2017, starting at roughly $50 million and increasing in subsequent years, the Province of Ontario agreed in 2010 to a 50-year extension of Teranet Inc.’s monopoly in providing electronic land registration.)

Records of Past Property Ownership

To find assessment rolls from before 1997, go in person to the Archives of Ontario in North York or search for the municipality’s name plus “assessment” at the Archives of Ontario. Use FamilySearch.org to look up any land records the organization has digitized, broken down by county. Since these were digitized individually, the scans are available for free access and download and might be of higher quality. You can easily find out who owns the property and that too for free. 

Hire A Real Estate Broker

Lastly, remember the depth of information that real estate agents possess. Any real estate professional can do a title search for you. In the interest of fostering relationships, many agents won’t charge for this service; if they do, it might not be very expensive, which is even another way of finding out the owner of the property. If you are lucky and they charge you peanuts then you can find it for free.

The Last Word on Locating Property Owners

How do you find out who owns a property? Secret Revealed! It is usually easy to find out who owns a building, plot of land, or property, and several benefits exist. It assists you in ensuring that you only transact business with the property’s legitimate owner. Additionally, you can speak with a possible seller directly whose house isn’t on the market but might be interested in an offer (any early advantage helps in a hot market).

When you search, you can frequently find any liens or past-due obligations in addition to verifying who owns the property. You can find the current owner’s name and the current property taxes in public records. 

Additionally, you may view the dates of real estate transactions and a complete ownership history. To learn more about property and real estate, talk to us!

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