Blog
Plain-English guidance on environmental liens, AULs, chain of title research, and Phase I ESA due diligence.
Articles
- The Search Found an Environmental Lien or AUL — Now What?What to do when a lien and AUL search turns something up: read the instrument, confirm its current status, and weigh the paths deals actually take from there.Read article →
- How an Environmental Lien & AUL Search Is Actually PerformedInside a 1980 environmental lien and AUL search: how certified title abstractors reconstruct the deed chain, review the records, and what the report includes.Read article →
- Superlien States: When an Environmental Lien Beats the MortgageSome states give environmental cleanup liens priority over previously recorded mortgages. What superliens are, where they exist, and how lenders manage the risk.Read article →
- Phase I ESA User Responsibilities: The Lien & AUL SearchASTM E1527-21 assigns key Phase I ESA duties to the user — including the environmental lien and AUL title search. What Section 6 requires and how to comply.Read article →
- When Does a Phase I ESA Expire? The 180-Day Rule ExplainedHow long a Phase I ESA stays valid under ASTM E1527-21 — the 180-day presumption, the one-year limit, and the five components that must be updated.Read article →
- Why Add a Chain of Title Search to Your Phase I ESA?How a supplemental chain of title search strengthens a Phase I ESA: past owners reveal past uses and support the historical research ASTM E1527-21 requires.Read article →
- Environmental Liens Explained: Who Files Them and How to Find ThemWhat environmental liens are, who files them, where they're recorded — including judicial records — and how an ASTM E1527-21 title search finds them.Read article →
- What Is an Activity and Use Limitation (AUL)? A Plain-English GuideActivity and Use Limitations (AULs) explained: what they are, common examples, where they're recorded, and how ASTM E1527-21 requires them to be searched.Read article →
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