Inherited Property
Problems

The title company stopped the closing

What Can You Do When the Title Company Will Not Close?

A stopped closing does not always mean the property can never be sold. It means the title company found a problem it will not insure without more work.

The written title requirement is often the best place to start because it shows what must change for that closing to work.

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812-345-8610matt@landhatllc.com

Practical guidance based on real property transactions · Reviewed by Matt Matich, LandHat LLC · Updated July 27, 2026

Why the sale is difficult

The Title Company Is Identifying Risk, Not Buying the Property

The company may find a deceased owner, missing deed, unreleased mortgage, judgment, tax-sale history, access problem, incorrect legal description, lien, estate gap, or competing claim.

One title company’s refusal may identify the work required. It does not automatically determine whether a different purchase structure is possible.

Possible paths

What May Be Possible

1

Complete the required work and return to closing

The owner hires the appropriate professional and clears the listed requirements.

2

Use a different title or legal path

Another title company or attorney may understand the issue differently, but the underlying problem still must be handled honestly.

3

Structure a purchase around the cure

A specialized buyer may structure a purchase around the title problem and fund professional work needed to reach an insurable result.

4

Sell an established ownership interest

If the whole title cannot close, one documented interest may still be transferable.

What changes the answer

The Facts That Usually Matter

The written requirement

The exact exception or missing item matters more than a vague statement that the title is bad.

The source of the problem

Deed, estate, lien, tax sale, access, boundary, identity, or recording issues require different professionals.

Whether the cure is known

A clear document or court path is different from an unresolved ownership dispute.

Who must cooperate

Owners, heirs, lenders, agencies, courts, or occupants may need to participate.

Cost and time

Professional fees and delay must fit the property value and deadlines.

The buyer’s title standard

A buyer may accept some risk, but a future resale or financing may still require insurable title.

These facts help the buyer and the appropriate professionals decide what is possible. You do not need to sort them out before calling.

Real transaction, details changed

A Tax-Sale Title Was Cleared Before the Purchase Closed

A rural vacant-land property had been acquired years earlier through a tax sale. The owner was willing to sell, but the title company would not insure the closing until a court cleared the title.

A specialized buyer made an acceptable offer, funded the attorney’s initial work, and stayed involved while the attorney, title company, and court handled their roles. The purchase closed only after insurable title was confirmed.

This example is based on a real transaction. Some details were changed or omitted.

Where a specialized buyer may fit

The Buyer May Carry the Cost and Uncertainty Before Closing

A specialized buyer may be willing to spend money and time before the result is certain, provided the owner cooperates and the professionals identify a credible path.

The buyer is not guaranteeing the legal result. The agreement should state what happens if the title cannot be made acceptable.

What helps with the first review

Call With What You Know

  • Property address
  • Title company name
  • Title commitment, exception list, or written explanation
  • Prior deed or closing documents
  • Known probate, lien, tax, access, or boundary facts
  • Current contract or deadline

You do not need a complete file or a legal conclusion. The first conversation is used to understand the situation and decide what information matters next.

Common questions

Questions About This Problem

Should I get the title problem in writing?

Yes. A written commitment or requirement is far more useful than a general statement that the title is bad.

Can another title company close it?

Possibly, but changing companies does not make a real defect disappear. The new company must independently decide what it can insure.

Can the buyer pay for a quiet-title action?

Sometimes. A purchase may include selected legal costs when the value, cooperation, and expected result justify them.

What if the title problem cannot be fixed?

The purchase may not close, a different interest may be sold, or the property may require a longer legal path.

Related problems

The Same Property May Have More Than One Issue

Deceased owner on deed

The missing authority may be the title problem.

See possible paths →

Liens or old mortgages

A release or payoff may be missing.

See possible paths →

Access problems

The title company may object to legal access.

See possible paths →

Call With What You Know

Share the property address, the owner’s name, your connection to the property, and what is making the property hard to sell. You do not need to know the solution first.

Call Text Email
812-345-8610matt@landhatllc.com