The topic of transferring real property comes up often in my estate planning practice. A typical scenario is when a trust is created for a couple or a single person and we choose to transfer the real property via a quitclaim deed into a trust. The question that arises is, “what happens to our title insurance policy?” The question at hand is whether the transfer of property via quitclaim deed invalidates the title insurance policy that the client already has in place on their real property. The answer is no, it does not so long as the person who quitclaims the property into the trust is also the settlor (the person who creates the trust) of the trust. If the owner quitclaims the property into a trust where they are not the settlor then then will have to file a Form 107.9, which is a title insurance endorsement that amends the existing title insurance policy by adding an additional insured to the coverage.
If you have any questions regarding estate planning issues, please contact Anna M. Petronzio. apetronzio@ps-law.com, 216-381-3400.