Permit Problems
EAGLE Protection™ helped one homeowner recover from
problems he did not foresee.
Just after buying his home, Tim brought in a small construction team to renovate
the interior of the house. He expected to make a few adjustments. He didn't expect to get the news the
construction team gave him. Minutes after they arrived, they found that the carpet in the den had been
laid directly onto plywood, which had been laid directly on dirt. No concrete, no footings, no
foundation. They soon found two other areas in the house with similar problems.
So, Tim contacted the city. After inspection, the city determined that the
additions had been made to the house without a building permit. They then ordered him to tear out those
portions of the house and rebuild them completely – to code and with a permit.
Recalling the decision he made to purchase an EAGLE Policy® when he
bought the home, Tim went to his First American representative, and it was quickly determined that the
EAGLE Policy's building permit violation coverage applied. Tim was then paid the $25,000 the policy
provided for repairs. Knowing that this building permit violation coverage isn't available in standard
policies. Tim was glad he made the choice he did.
“When I bought the house, the person at First American explained the
benefits of the EAGLE Policy. I thought ‘I'm buying a fairly expensive home here, what's a few
extra dollars?’ It was the best investment I ever made.“
“As a developer, I had done a lot of work with First American in the past,
so there was no question that I go with them for my title insurance. When this happened, I realized
how good a move that was.”
-- Tim, Homeowner
Fences and Neighbors
She came home to find a fence being built down the middle of her driveway.
Annegret, quite happy with the home she'd purchased and its scenic surroundings,
decided to take a trip to her homeland of Germany. Upon her return, she found that she had new neighbors
next door – neighbors who were building a fence that Annegret saw headed down the middle of her
driveway!
The neighbors agreed to have a survey completed, which did reveal that building the
fence and the true property line would block Annegret's access to her garage and the rear portion of her
property. Unfortunately, the neighbors quickly built the fence anyway.
Annegret's real estate agent, Jim, immediately called First American knowing that
Annegret had EAGLE Protection™. First American quickly hired an attorney to represent
Annegret. The fence came down and the issues in dispute were resolved. First American then filed for a
variance from the county to get an established set-back line redrawn and obtained an easement for use of
the driveway.
Bottom line–a standard title policy would not have covered Annegret's
dilemma. Without First American's title insurance protection, Annegret would have been left to deal with
this on her own.
“The EAGLE Policy® protected my client. Ironically, if the
neighbor had an EAGLE Policy, they might have been compensated for providing the easement. I'm
recommending the EAGLE Policy to all of my clients because of the protection it affords.“
-- Anngret, Homeowner
“As a developer, I had done a lot of work with First American in the past,
so there was no question that I go with them for my title insurance. When this happened, I realized
how good a move that was.”
-- Jim, Real Estate Agent
The Weight of Unpaid Taxes
The IRS suddenly told a couple that they didn't own their home.
When Ronald and Lorie bought their suburban home, little did they know they would
become principals in dispute with the United States government. They bought their home from someone who
had acquired it from the Internal Revenue Service at an auction after it had been seized by the IRS in
connection with unsatisfied tax liens.
After they moved in, the new owners were shocked to learn that the IRS had
rescinded the original sale and returned the first buyer's money. The IRS refused to issue a deed, which
meant that the right, title and interest in the property were not transferred to the bidder or, in turn,
to Ronald and Lorie. Even worse, tax liens totaling millions of dollars were placed on the house.
Ronald and Lorie contacted First American, and we're told that the owners title
insurance policy they had with First American covered their predicament.
So, First American went to bat representing them in court and won more than $45,000
in attorney and settlement fees. The couple retained ownership to their home without spending a dime of
their own – thanks to the protection of title insurance.
“We were shocked when the sale was canceled. We had no idea why, and the
only thing we were told was that there were liens on the property. So, we called First American. First
American took care of the problem quickly and we're really happy about the way things turned
out.“
-- Ronald and Lorie, Homeowners
Homeowners and real estate professionals alike are realizing the difference title
insurance protection from First American can make and how vital its protection can be.