Page 14 - Home Buyers and Sellers Handbook English - California

D Statement of Information

A GUIDE TO STATEMENTS OF INFORMATION
What’s in a name? When a title company seeks to uncover matters affecting title to real property, the answer is,
“Quite a bit.”

Statements of Information provide title companies with the information they need to distinguish the buyers
and sellers of real property from others with similar names. After identifying the true buyers and sellers, title
companies may disregard the judgments, liens or other matters on the public records under similar names.
To help you better understand this sensitive subject, the California Land Association has answered some of the
questions most commonly asked about Statements of Information.

What is a Statement of Information?
A Statement of Information is a form routinely requested from the buyer, seller and borrower in a transaction
where title insurance is sought. The completed form provides the title company information needed to
adequately examine documents so as to disregard matters which do not affect the property to be insured,
matters which actually apply to some other person.

What does a Statement of Information do?
Every day documents affecting real property--liens, court decrees, bankruptcies--are recorded. Whenever a title
company uncovers a recorded document in which the name is the same or similar to that of the buyer, seller
or borrower in a title transaction, the title company must ask, “Does this document affect the parties we are
insuring?” Because, if it does, it affects title to the property and would, therefore, be listed as a exception from
coverage under the title policy. A properly completed Statement of Information will allow the title company to
differentiate between parties with the same or similar names when searching documents recorded by name.
This protects all parties involved and allows the title company to competently carry our its duties without
unnecessary delay.

What types of information are requested in a Statement of Information?
The information requested is personal in nature, but not unnecessarily so. The information requested is essential
to avoid delays in closing the transaction.

You, and if applicable, your spouse or registered domestic partner, will be asked to provide full name, social
security number, year of birth, birthplace, and information of citizenship. If applicable, you will be asked the date
and place of your marriage or registered domestic partnership.

Residence and employment information will be requested, as will information regarding previous marriages or
registered domestic partnerships.

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