Looking for Royal Title Services Inc, may have changed names

I'm desperate.  I purchased my Maplewood home in 2003.  Going to sell and an issue popped up showing a previous mortgage wasn't discharged (it was).  I'm told if I have title insurance they can clear it up.  I misplaced the paperwork for the 2003 purchase during the move, the only thing I can find is the HUD paperwork, which listed Royal Title Services, Inc as the company I used.  I don't have any contact information for Royal Title Service or a policy number.

Google shows Royal Title in Indiana, I'm going to guess they are not the ones I used.  I got ONE search result for NJ, but it is directing me to the Maplewood Township's official government website.  When I looked the website associated with it is no longer active.  I called the number, and the voicemail says Noble Title. 

I'll call them tomorrow during business hours and hope they are one and the same.  But in the meantime, is anyone familiar with Royal Title Services

Try checking with Maplewood.  This type of issue must pop up periodically.  Royal title was likely an agency that did the title search for the insurance company that issued the policy. Good luck.

The New Jersey Land Title Association does keep track of underwriters and agents in the title insurance business, who have transferred their responsibilities.  

https://njlta.site-ym.com/

Maybe call them, explain the situation and see if they have any suggestions.

[Edited to add] And if you haven't already, bring these facts to the title company, agency, or attorney whose search turned up the alleged lien.  They'd have better tools to track down the entity responsible, than you would have on your own.

Thank you.  My lawyer is also looking into it.  I’m just freaking out a bit since of course this comes up right before we’re trying to close, and even though I know I have a policy on the title, I have no idea of who I got it with   

I vaguely remember the mortgage issue coming up, and quickly being resolved, when I purchased the home in 2003.  I don’t know why this is coming up again over 15 years later 

spontaneous said:

I vaguely remember the mortgage issue coming up, and quickly being resolved, when I purchased the home in 2003.  I don’t know why this is coming up again over 15 years later 

Well, it's coming up again because somebody didn't do his or her job, and it wasn't an issue until now.  The resolution of the issue should have been properly recorded in Essex County.

But the original mortgage was paid off well before 2003.  It popped up in 2003, and was addressed then.  So someone didn’t do their job TWICE, first when the loan was originally paid off, and again in 2003 when it was found and addressed a second time.

UImmm.  I myself used Royal Title Service twice -- in 1997 when I bought my house in Maplewood, and again in 2005 when I did a re-fi.  

I'm selling, and I've found that a my energetic packers appear to have packed the milk crate that had all the mortgages, refi's and HELOCs I've ever done and those docs are now in storage.  Sigh...  My attorney said the only document that I could possibly need at the closing was the original title insurance policy.  I recalled the company name immediately as Royal Title Insurance

It's still listed at 2115 Millburn Ave, #L1 aka Opal Title Svcs

https://www.yellowpages.com/maplewood-nj/mip/royal-title-svc-inc-8711260

Aren’t those kinds of papers filed with the county for every real estate transaction?

I recently went looking for our purchase/closing documents for our current home (not that we’re selling or have an urgent need for them) and was unable to find them. I know they are here somewhere, but your post is making me worry about potential consequences if we don’t ever locate them.

ellen said:

UImmm.  I myself used Royal Title Service twice -- in 1997 when I bought my house in Maplewood, and again in 2005 when I did a re-fi.  

I'm selling, and I've found that a my energetic packers appear to have packed the milk crate that had all the mortgages, refi's and HELOCs I've ever done and those docs are now in storage.  Sigh...  My attorney said the only document that I could possibly need at the closing was the original title insurance policy.  I recalled the company name immediately as Royal Title Insurance

It's still listed at 2115 Millburn Ave, #L1 aka Opal Title Svcs

https://www.yellowpages.com/maplewood-nj/mip/royal-title-svc-inc-8711260

 It is rare to need the title insurance.  In my case a problem popped up during closing that we knew had been dealt with years before, the mortgage the previous owner had was paid off, but never properly recorded, so I needed the policy so my buyer’s mortgage company would issue a mortgage.

It took a LOT of phone calls and nagging, but we were eventually able to get them to find the policy and send a copy to my lawyer.

It was a headache, but in the end it worked out and we closed.