The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-02-07
LAND TITLE BILL
WARMLY URGED
Farmers, Bankers, Real Estate
People and Merchants Favor
Adams Measure.
LOCAL OPTION FEATURES
Torrens System of Land Regis
tration Ends Old-Timc
Trouble.

III; An extended hearing on the Adams
PHI to provide for the registration of
land titles was held before tho House
G nimh, TEE for Courts Of Justice last
this afternoon TO go over the bill In
detail In executive session, and pass
finally on 1t. The bin provides BRIEF
tho option Of adopting. IL It 30 dcsiros
what is known as the Torrens system
or land registration. 1t aims TO do
bersCme method at present In vogue
by which every time property Is trans
terred or mortgage Is placed upon 1t.
there has to be an exhaustive and cx-
pensiHe examination of the title. and
ane MEME owner mas no guarantee that the
portant detail which may arise later
10 plague him.
Guarantees Titles.
Under the Adams bill each parcel OF
land transferred is registered. and the
OF any cloud on the title every party
Is given an opportunity with notice
either by registered mail or by publ
cation. where the address is unknown.
10 come forward In ninety days and
present a claim. To save the State
harmless. u tax OF one tenth of per
cent Is placed on property transfers.
the fund SO raised to be held by the
Auditor OF the state az an insurance
fund. In the unlikely contingency, af-
transferred In good faith. that some
claimant may arise with Il lien on the
property. his claim Is TO be made
against tho Insurance fund. and the
interests OF that fund are to be pro-
iected In court by the Attorney Gen
II. u. Adams, Of Charlotte. president
of the State Board OF Ag -,,ulture. who
expresses the opinion that 1t will be OF
very fhr-reaching Importance to the
farmers OF Virginia in giving them
ready. opportunity 10 raise money on
their land. The system with slight va
TtHft0na "A nr "a
States. and has very recently been
adopted in North Carolina.
Not Open to Attack.
The title itself is registered. not the
evidence OF title. which may be open
to attack. Once title to land is ex-
NOT have 10 be repeated every time the
property Is transferred. The certificate
OF ownership lis not matter OF any
the state. From the experience of
States where the system has been in
vogue for some years, very few claims
have arisen against the insurance funS.
not one-tcnth of which has ever been
paid out. The chief objection 10 the
bill comes from that class OF lawyers
who have been making specially or
tltlc examinations.
Al the hearing last night the patron,
Ssons OF the eri b @heh he d 1ns
az by far the most important and far
reaching in its effect before this Cen
eral Assembly. He read a letter from
A. Carcrton BraSton. who said that this
Iery system had been contemplated in
he framing OF the Constitution of 1902.
and that section 100 OF that document
amply covered the bill. and would pre-
vent the long -drnwn-out litigation over
OF the plan in Ohio and other States.
where there was no distinct constitu-
tonal provision
TURNER'S Favor bill.
State Farmers Union. and 4. b. Thorn
cation. spoke for the bill on behalf OF
10000 enrolled members who favor a
t tss asS, s W M, Of LANG
property a speculative venture, in
which tho owner. may be forced from
courts.
Westmoreland Davis. president of the
state Farmers Institute. spoke for the
bill as representative OF that organi-
cation.
ee W. clarhe Jr Tepgesenting the
einia; Secretary r. a. Dunlop repre-
senting the Chamber of Commerce OF
richmond. and John c: Easiey. repre-.
Richmond. spoke in favor of the bin.
Murphy for "LOcni Option"
Colonel John Murphy. as an indie
spoke vigorously In favor of the bill,
bringing n general laugh from the com
mttee when he highly praised Its local
registration may be adopted by any
county or city as 1t sees tit, without It's
being forced on any one. ben kirk-
patrick. property owner of Lynch
and banks OF that city. heartily sup.
ported the bill.
George Bryan. attorney for the Vir-
Einia State Bankers Association. made
The most extended argument in behalf
Of the bill, discussing it's legal phases
in detail. and warmly commanding its
provisions as one Of the greatest steps
in advance the State could take.
At the meeting this afternoon the
committee has invited the patron, Mr..
Adams. and Colonel Eugene c. Massie.