An abstract of title is a written summary of every recorded document affecting a property, from the original government grant to the latest deed, mortgage and lien. Older Florida closings relied on them. Today insurers rely on a current title search, and in Tampa the Hillsborough County Clerk's online records index only reaches back to 1965.
What an Abstract of Title Contains
An abstract is a condensed history of the property's public records, arranged in the order they were recorded. Each entry summarizes a document, like a deed, mortgage, satisfaction, lien, judgment, probate order, plat or easement, with the recording information you'd need to find the original.
Put together, those entries tell the story of who has owned the land and what claims have touched it. That's the same idea behind chain of title, and the abstract is one way that chain used to be written down and handed from owner to owner.
How Abstracts Were Used in Florida
Before title insurance became the norm, a buyer's attorney read the abstract and wrote an opinion on the quality of the seller's title. Each time the property sold, an abstract company brought the book up to date with the new entries, and it went to the next owner.
Some longtime Florida owners still have these bound abstracts tucked away with their closing papers. They're interesting history, and occasionally they're useful in clearing up an old gap in the records.
Abstract Versus a Modern Title Search
A title search does the same core job with today's indexed county records, and it focuses on the period an insurer needs to underwrite the policy. Florida law requires it, since section 627.7845 of the Florida Statutes says an insurer has to base each policy on a reasonable title search and keep the search for at least 7 years.
Our post on what we look for in a Florida title search lists the records we pull. The results become your title commitment, and our post on how to read a title commitment walks through what that document tells you before closing.
Does an Old Abstract Still Help?
An old abstract won't replace a current search, because it stops at the last date someone updated it and can't show anything recorded afterward. And since the statute ties every policy to a reasonable title search, an abstract can only be a starting point for one.
That said, an old abstract can help us trace a missing link, find an old easement or confirm how a legal description changed over time. If you have one, send it along with your contract and we'll use it as a reference.
That older history is where an abstract earns its keep around Tampa Bay. Hillsborough's online index starts in 1965, with earlier books held in the Clerk's Official Records Library, and the Pinellas County Clerk's deed images online start in 1957, so anything older usually means a trip to the archive or a page in someone's abstract.
Abstract Versus Title Insurance
An abstract tells you what's in the records, and an attorney's opinion tells you what they think it means. Neither one pays you if a forged deed, a missed heir or a recording error turns up later.
An owner's title insurance policy does, by covering defects the search didn't catch and paying to defend your title on covered claims. You can estimate the premium on our Florida title insurance calculator before you close.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I still need an abstract of title to buy a home in Tampa?
Usually not. Florida title insurers base the policy on a current title search instead, and Hillsborough's records are searchable online from 1965 forward, with older records in the Clerk's Official Records Library. If you have an old abstract, send it to us, since it can help trace the history before 1965.
What is an abstract of title?
It's a written summary of every recorded document affecting a property, listed in order from the earliest records forward. It covers deeds, mortgages, liens, judgments, easements and similar documents.
Are abstracts of title still used in Florida?
Rarely. Florida closings now rely on title insurance, and an insurer has to base its policy on a reasonable title search. An old abstract can still be a helpful reference.
What is the difference between an abstract of title and a title search?
An abstract is a summary of the records up to the date it was last updated. A title search reviews the current records so an insurer can issue a commitment and a policy.
Does an abstract of title replace title insurance?
No. An abstract only describes the records and can't pay for a loss. An owner's title policy covers defects the search missed and pays to defend covered claims.