Request a preliminary title report
A preliminary title report is the snapshot a California title company issues after a title order is open. It shows the current owner, how title is vested, recorded liens, easements, CC&Rs, taxes, and the items that have to be cleared before a policy can be issued. It is not the policy.
What a preliminary title report is
Agents usually call it a prelim. It is the working document at the start of escrow. Under California Insurance Code §12340.11 it is an offer to issue a title policy subject to the exceptions and requirements printed on it, not a guarantee that every line will be insured. The legal description controls over the street address. Schedule B is where the property-specific exceptions live: the items the policy will not cover unless they are cleared.
A prelim is different from a property profile. A profile is a courtesy look at ownership and history. A prelim comes from an open title order and is what escrow, the lender, and the agents use to see what has to happen before closing. If you only need the courtesy sheet for a listing appointment, request a profile. If a transaction is underway, or you want the title file opened, use this page.
How long it usually takes
On a standard residential order, the prelim is generally back in two to four business days from the day title is opened. Trust, probate, foreclosure, multi-parcel, and commercial files can take longer. The team will say so when the order is the kind that needs more time. The report is a snapshot as of the search date on its face. If escrow runs long, title dates the search down before closing so a new recording is not missed.
What to send
Send the property address. Add the assessor's parcel number if you know it. APN is helpful and not required. Name the parties: buyer, seller, and how they expect to take title if that is already decided. If escrow is open, name the escrow company and the officer. A price, the side you represent, and a target close date help the file get opened with the right expectations. Trust or LLC vesting belongs in the notes, because the prelim will show the vested owner and the deed has to match it.
On a standard residential sale in Los Angeles County there is no separate up-front fee for the prelim itself. The cost sits inside the title insurance premium paid at closing. If escrow cancels before closing, the title company may charge a cancellation fee. A stand-alone request outside a transaction may be quoted as a flat fee. This page does not publish a price list.
Questions
- What is a preliminary title report?
- It is the title company's report at the start of escrow showing the owner, vesting, recorded liens, easements, CC&Rs, taxes, and the requirements that must be cleared before a policy is issued. It is an offer to insure, not the policy.
- How long does a prelim take?
- On a standard residential order it is generally back in two to four business days. Trust, probate, and multi-parcel files can take longer.
- What should I include with the request?
- The address, the parties, and escrow information if escrow is already open. Add the APN if you know it. It is helpful and not required.
- Does a prelim have its own fee?
- On a standard Los Angeles County residential sale, there is no separate up-front fee. The cost is part of the title premium paid at closing. A cancelled escrow may incur a cancellation fee.
Send the file
Same order form as open an order. Read the prelim guide at preliminary title report explained.