Site History
We understand the importance of proving property ownership through public deed and mortgage records to prove insurance provider responsibility
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Site History
In 1795, US Congress mandated the establishment of county recorders’ offices for public recording of deeds and mortgages. Today, by law, every county in the United States maintains a Recorder’s office, preserving deeds, mortgages and other recorded instruments. These records are an essential element of our Task 1 services, and eventually, for a successful insurance claim.
We use these records to meticulously reconstruct a property’s history, from its original state, possibly over a century ago, to the present day and identify past owners, operators, and leaseholders. Understanding property ownership through these recorded deeds is a powerful tool in convincing insurance companies of a policyholder’s liability during critical periods.
What a Site History Involves
We obtain recorded documents for our client subject properties, focusing primarily from the 1920s to the present. For sites with longer histories, our research will extend further back in time to the period preceding the onset of pollution.
These historical title documents are then analyzed by our team. Each document may contain a single piece of information that could be the difference between a covered claim or denial. This takes time and focus as our process ensures the verification of critical ownership and operations with utmost certainty.
Once these title documents have been organized, analyzed and catalogued, we can complete the picture by utilizing additional resources like old phone directories and business listings to complement this historical narrative.
This Site History becomes the foundational tranche of our “Big Three Data Sets”. Armed with this baseline of verified historical facts, our pursuit of historical insurance policies is focused on specific policyholders as well as periods in time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Determining a site’s history establishes a clear set of facts regarding the timeline of property ownership and operations, which is critical for a successful environmental claim.
Typically, our research spans from the 1920s to the present. However, for properties with more extensive histories, we delve into records predating the pollution events.
Yes, we can accurately verify property owners for specific periods through our Site History process.
Our Site History is a deliverable, provided to our clients and their legal counsel. This information is organized in manner that is easy to understand and provides a roadmap (with evidence) of property ownership and operations in the historical record. This information is critical in securing insurance coverage on contaminated properties.
We utilize a variety of historical resources, including old phone books and business directories, to supplement and enrich our understanding of property history.
Years in Business
Allows us to be the leading insurance archaeology and claims management firm in the country
Million Recovered
We uncover hidden assets for our clients, and we excel at obtaining coverage for their environmental liabilities
Policyholder Clients Served
We only work for policyholders and property owners and do not offer our services to insurance companies
Historical Policy Database
Restorical has been collecting, analyzing, and cataloging historical insurance policies spanning the 1950s-1990s.
Our proprietary database with carrier-specific detail is leveraged for our clients on a daily basis
