The Saint Paul globe., 1902-02-17
LAW is A SAFEGUARD
TORRENS LAND SYSTEM WILL RE
POPULAR WHEN UNDER
STOOD
TITLE IS ABSOLUTELY SAFE
Property Can Be Transferred QuIck-
" without Trouble and Certif-
icate Is Complete Protec-
tiOn Against Fraud.

Inc Iorrens Land law which was de-
clared constitutional by the state supreme
court last week is discussed and explained
by one Of its champions as follows:
When the act took effect last Septem-
per- hardly any one in the three counties
10 which it applied, wanted to take ad-
vantage or 1t, simply because it was a
new departure in this state and several
objections were raised by the legal pro-
fession against it's constitutionality Now
of, | have no doubt that as soon as real
estate owners generally become familiar
with It's many advantages, they will avail
themselves of it without delay.
Y rder the present, or old system the
titles to land are not very secure pur-
chaserS are bound to search the records
not only for recorded instruments but
Tor judgments and all other proceedings
In the courts of record, which may affect
the title. Titles are usually examined by
means of abstracts prepared by abstract
companies and passed upon by some at
torney
''The purchaser buys at his peril. Err
rors may creep in. not only in the alb
stract. in the opinion of the buyers at
torney, but the buyer assumes the risk
and it frequently happens that different
attorneys arrive at different opinions as
to the validity of a given title to the
land. The result is that many delays oc-
cur in the transfer of land consequent
upon recording abstracts, tne1r examina-
ton, etc.
Under the Torrens law, when the
land is once registered, the owner pro-
cures certificate Of title from the reg
istrar Of titles, which, by force of the
provisions of the law, is conclusive evil
Gence of title in the owner named in the
ceT tificate. 1t will thus be seen that
registered land may be sold or mort
gagged and the money safely paid over
within few minutes after verbal con-
tract 1t made, without reSorting to any
abstract of title or any opinion of any
individual lawyer as to the validity of
the title.
Another advantage to be derived from
registration under the Torrens system is
that no title can ever be acquired by adj
verse possession. This is Of peculiar ad-
vantage to non-residentS who own large
tracts of land in this county, and never
see it. 1t frequently happens that land
is squatted upon by trespasser, who,
after fifteen years, is very much tempt
ed to claim the ownership Of such land
by adverse possession.
Still another advantage is protection
against fraud. Under the old system an
abstract of title might show perfect legal
title in the last grantee, but it may han
pen that somewhere in the chain Of title
a deed or other instrument was forged
or fraudulently procured, so that in
reality the supposed legal owner acccfd-
ing TO the abstract, turns out not to be
the owner at all.
''Fhe cost of registration consists in
rayIng to the registrar at the time of
the. fling Of the application $40 on all
land having an assessed valuation Of $IOc0
or less, and $3.50 additional on each
81 900 or major fraction thereof. In i'd
ditiOn to this, there is also paid to the
registrar of titles 1-10th of 1 per cent of
the assessed value of the real estate on
the basis Of the last assessment for gen
crai taxes, as an assurance fund The
applicant must also pay the clerk OF
court fee of S3 the cost of publication
ef summons and 81 for the certificate of
title and registration of the same ANY
number OF contiguous pieces of land
owned by the same person and in the
same right, or any number OF pieces of
property having the same claim Of title
and belonging to the same person, may
be included IN the same application