German American Real Estate Title Guarantee Company - New York 1901

Beautifully engraved certificate from the German American Real Estate Title Guarantee Company issued in 1901. This historic document was printed by the American Banknote Company and has an ornate border around it with a vignette of Lady Liberty holding a flag with her sword drawn. This item has the signatures of the Company’s President, Edward V. Lowe and Secretary, C. J. Obeymayer and is over 108 years old.




Certificate Vignette



King's Handbook of New York City - 1892

CORNER OF THOMAS STREET.

The German-American Real Estate Title Guarantee Company was

organized in 1885, with a paid-in cash capital of $500,000; thus giving assurance of an abundance of financial strength, and a board of directors and ofhcers comprising many of New York's best-known citi/.ens, which at once gave confidence that the company's alTairs would be ably and successfully conducted. Its object is to afford absolute protection to purchasers of real estate. It supersedes the old system, which requires a re-examination of title, with its consequent delays and costs, at every transfer of real property. The company employs a corps of real-estate lawyers to examine all titles, and no guarantee policy is issued by this company until after the approval of the title, certified to by its counsel. Therefore, the patrons of this company secure a title examined by experts, vouched for by counsel, and guaranteed by a corporation whose gross assets are about $800,000 — certainly more desirable and safer than any individual examinations. . Already it has become usual for money-lending institutions to demand such title policies, and to accept them unhesitatingly in making loans. It becomes possible to transfer on 24 hours' notice real estate, or mortgages, the title to which has once been guaranteed. A policy in the German - American Real Estate Title Guarantee Company is a contract to pay not only all losses caused by defects of title to the amount insured, but at the company's own expense to defend all actions which may be brought against the title. The company also does an extensive business in making loans on bonds and mortgages at current rates of interest. The New-York offices occupy the main floor to the left of the main entrance to the magnificent Mutual Life Building, at 34 Nassau Street, where the old post office was located ; and the Brooklyn offices are in the Brooklyn Real Estate Exchange Building, 189 Montague Street.