Rice Business Report September 2019 September 2019 Rice Business Report | Page 3

Rice Business Report September 2019
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5. Advice from Unqualified Professionals. We’ve handled cases where a Realtor, CPA or Business Broker
tried to transfer title to property, which is usually going to end badly. Realtors are fully capable of
preparing contracts for the sale or rental of property, but are not legally able to prepare deeds or oth-
er legal documents related to the title to the property. A CPA can advise you
about the tax consequences of a transaction, but is also prohibited from practicing law, so they can’t
prepare deeds or advise you about title issues either. Finally, business brokers often fail to recognize the
different issues involved in transferring title to real property, as opposed to transferring title to furniture,
equipment, customer lists, and other personal property used in running a business.
If you are buying or selling real property, using a Realtor to prepare the contract, and a title company to
close the transaction, a lawyer is usually not be necessary. If the transaction is at all unusual, or if you
have questions or doubts about the situation, a consultation with a lawyer may be the most valuable
thing you do to protect yourself. In future articles, we will discuss each of these scenarios in more detail.
For now, know that if you’re dealing with title to real estate, it pays to consult an attorney. If you know
of anyone that is involved in a title dispute, or that needs help clearing title to real estate, call your favor-
ite lawyer, because it Feels Good To Prevail!
WALTER LAW FIRM, P.C.
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