How do title and deed problems happen?

Title and deed problems usually trace back to an unpaid lien that was never cleared, an heir who was never accounted for after an inherited sale, a boundary or easement dispute, a clerical error in the county's recorded documents, or outright fraud like a forged deed filed without the real owner's knowledge. Most surface during the title search a closing attorney or title company runs before a sale closes. Catching one early, rather than at the closing table, is what keeps it from derailing a deal.