The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser., 1918-01-11
'TORRENS SYSTEM
BENEFITS FARMERS
GUARANTEES THE VALIDITY or
THE TITLE AFTER ITS REG
iSTRATiON.
NAMED AFTER ORIGINATOR
Was First Introduced In This Country
In 1897 and Has Been Adopted
BY Twelve States.

6y Twelve StASces
College Park, March 1.-The farm
ers of the State are having their at
tention directed by Professor +. b.
Bomberger Of the Division OF Rural
Economies of the Maryland State Col.
lege, to the fact that there ID much to
be desired in our present system OF
land title registration and transfsr.
Professor Bomberger in q recent Ad.
dress said that our present system ct
transfer OF title to land involves Q
constantly recurring expense for the
examination Of title ut each transfer;
that there Is an unnecessary delay at
each transfer by reason Of the neces'
sity for examination of title in each
case, and that even the expenditure OF
time and money under our present sys-
tenn cannot produce Q guaranteed
title.
The Torrens' System Of Land Title
Registration eliminates each one Of
these faults found TO be present IN
our system. This system originated
In Australia and Is named after its
inventor, Sir Robert r. Torrens, an
Englishman, engaged in the Customs
Service in Australia. The system hav-
ing been adopted in South Australia
in 1853 1t was carried to England In
1862; to Canada in 1s70-'S5. and to
the United States Tin Illinois and
Massachusetts,, in 1897-1Ss8. Twelve
other States of the United States have
adopted the system In recent years.
There are six important steps in
the operation Of the Torrens' System.
First, the title Is examined by . 1u-
dicial official specially appointed to
do this work. This gives to the title
examinations what they do not now
havs-the stamp Of ofncial. judicial
approval.
second, the title having been sx.
amined and found good, it Is regis
trated in the books Of the Registrar
Of Land Titles. This oflcial registra'
ton makes the validity Of the title .
matter Of public record. Thereafter,
It Is not necessary to examine the
title behind this Official registration.
In case Of contest, an opportunity u
offered for judicial determination OF
the legal rights Of all claimants; but
once the questions are settled the
title is recorded and Is as binding
from that date as IL any other deores
Of Court.
Third, q copy Of the certificate OF
registration is made out by public
Official, which copy is given to the
owner. II there are more owners than
one, each receives a copy Of the Ger.
tifcats as evidence Of his title.
Fourth, whenever the property
changes hands thereafter. new GER
tiAcate Of title Is made ont in the
name Of the new owner and recorded.
A copy OF this certificate is given to
the new owner as In the first instance.
Fifth, any incumbrance against the
estate existing at the time Of the
registration Of the title 10 entered on
the certificate and on the owners
cooy, In like manner the releasing
Of any incumbrance or the creation
Of Q new one is noted on the csrtfn-
cate and on the Owners Copy. Thus
at any time, a glance will show the
status Of the owners title and the
e1psnse and delay incident to our
present system are eliminated. Or
dinarily the whole matter Of examine
ton Of title and transfer Of title can
| be affected in . single day.
Sixth, 1t Is usually required that =
small fee CASUALLY ons-tenth Of one
Der cent. of the value OF the land to
| be registered) be charged upon the
| original registration. but not after
| ward. This Il to accumulate an In
dsmnity fund cut Of which to make
good any losses which may occur TO
| individuals as o result Of faulty ad-
| ministration OF the system. suoh as
surance funds are to be regarded
purely as insurance protection.
The operation Of the systsm r.
| uuires little machinery. Clerks OF
Court or Recorders Of Deeds may b
made Registrars Of Titles also. 4
Court consisting az two or more
Judges, may be provided TO have 3ur-
isdiction over questions arising out OF
the Registration Of titles Just as our
Orphans Courts have charge OF mat
ters tsstamentar2: or such questions
| can be carried to the regularly estab-
| lished Circuit Courts Of the Counties.
Examiners and Registrars can be paid
by salaries or by fees based on the
services which they perform.
The system may be voluntary. COM
| pulsory or mixed. In the voluntary
system only those titles are registered
| whose owners desire It. In the COM
pulsory system, all titles are required
| to be registered after certain date.
In the mixed system, which is most
| common, those who desire may have
their land titles registered; and, in ad-
dition all changes OF title resulting
from judicial decree Gas In foreclos-
ure of q mortgage) and titles derived
by operation Of law as in case Of TAX
ing title by will or by descent, are
required to be registered. The In
variable rule in all systems Is that
land once registered must always
thereafter be registered.
Professor Bomberger declared that
the Torrens' System, in practical op-
Grafton, has eliminated everyone OF
the principal defects of our present
system of land title transfer.
T7VX should have a ksnsw&s
kOlO'o 'or a Red Jacket Pump
, harauen fhav