Pinellas Office – Main Office:
Phone – 727-712-9600
Fax – 727-726-6144

Toll Free:
1-866-330-6233

Louis Bakkalapulo 

Ext. 11

Email: lbakkalapulo@attorneytitleservices.com

Amanda Hersem

Ext. 12

Email: ahersem@attorneytitleservices.com

When purchasing a home or other real estate, you acquire title to the property which may be limited by rights and claims asserted by others.

Problems with title can limit your use and enjoyment of real estate, as well as bring financial loss. Title trouble also can threaten the security interest your mortage lender holds in the property.

Protection against hazards of title is available through a unique coverage known as title insurance. Unlike other kinds of insurance that focus on possible future events and charge an annual premium, title insurance is a one time premium and is a safeguard against loss arising from hazards and defects already existing in the title.

Know the Difference
There are two major types of title insurance:

• Owners coverage
• Lenders, or mortgagee, protection

Owners title insurance ordinarily is issued in the amount of the real estate purchase price and lasts as long as the insured- or his/her heirs- have an interest in the property.

Most lenders require mortgagee title insurance as security for their investment in real estate, just as they may call for fire insurance and other types of coverage as investor protection. The amount of lenders title insurance decreases and eventually disappears as the loan is paid off.

Risk Elimination
An important part of title insurance is its emphasis on risk elimination before insuring. This means the insured has the best possible chance for avoiding title claim and loss.

Title insurance begins with a search of public land records for matters affecting the title to the real estate concerned. The examination of evidence from a search is intended to fully report all material objections to the title. Frequently, instruments that don’t clearly pass title are found in the chain, or history, of ownership assembled from the records search. These need to be corrected before a clear title can be conveyed. Here are some examples of instruments that can be present concerns.

• Deeds, wills and trusts that contain improper vestings and incorrect names
• Easements
• Outstanding mortgages, judgements and tax liens
• Incorrect notary acknowledgements

Through the search and the examination, title problems like these are disclosed so they can be cleared up whenever possible. But even the most careful preventive work cannot always locate hidden hazards of title.

PRIVACY STATEMENT JANUARY 1, 2012

We recognize and respect the privacy expectations of today’s consumers and the requirements of applicable federal and state privacy laws. We believe that making you aware of how we use your non-public personal information (“Personal Information”), and to whom it is disclosed, will form the basis for a relationship of trust between us and the public that we serve. This Privacy Statement provides that explanation. We reserve the right to change this Privacy Statement from time to time consistent with applicable privacy laws.

In the course of our business, we may collect Personal Information about you from the following sources;

• From applications or other forms we receive from you or your authorized representatives;
• From your transactions with, or from the services being performed by, us, our affiliates, or others;
• From our internet web sites;
• From the public records maintained by governmental entities that we either obtain directly from those entities, or from our affiliates or others; and
• From consumer or other reporting agencies.

Our Policies Regarding the Protection of the Confidentiality and Security of Your Personal Information

We maintain physical, electronic and procedural safeguards to protect your Personal Information from unauthorized access or intrusion. We limit access to the Personal Information only to those employees who need such access in connection with providing products or services to you or for other legitimate business purposes.

Our Policies and Practices Regarding the Sharing of Your Personal Information

We may share your Personal Information with our affiliates, such as insurance companies, agents, and other real estate settlement service providers. We also may disclose your Personal Information:

• to agents, brokers or representatives to provide you with services you have requested;
• to third-party contractors or service providers who provide services or perform marketing or other functions on our behalf; and
• to others with whom we enter into joint marketing agreements for products or services that we believe you may find of interest.

In addition, we will disclose your Personal Information when you direct or give us permission, when we are required by law to do so, or when we suspect fraudulent or criminal activities. We also may disclose your Personal Information when otherwise permitted by applicable privacy laws such as, for example, when disclosure is needed to enforce our rights arising out of any agreement, transaction or relationship with you.

One of the important responsibilities of some of our affiliated companies is to record documents in the public domain. Such documents may contain your Personal Information.

Right to Access Your Personal Information and Ability To Correct Errors On Request Changes Or Deletion

Certain states afford you the right to access your Personal Information and, under certain circumstances, to find out to whom your Personal Information has been disclosed. Also, certain states afford you the right to request correction, amendment or deletion of your Personal Information. We reserve the right, where permitted by law to charge a reasonable fee to cover the costs incurred in responding to such requests.

All requests must be made in writing to the following address:

Privacy Compliance Officer
Attorney Title Services, Inc.
111 Belcher Rd. Ste. 201
Clearwater, FL 33765

Multiple Products or Services

If we provide you with more than one financial product or service, you may receive more than one privacy notice from us. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you.