Owner and Encumbrance Report (O&E)
An owner and encumbrance report, usually shortened to O&E, tells you who holds title to one property today and what is recorded against it that has not been released. Lenders, servicers, investors and creditors order it when they need the current position fast and do not need an insurance policy. This page explains what an O&E shows, what it leaves out, what Florida law says about it, and how the $595 Title Search & Asset Equity Analysis covers the same ground and more.
Quick Answer
An owner and encumbrance report names the current owner of record and lists the open mortgages, liens, judgments and pending suits recorded against one property. It is a records report, not title insurance. U.S. Asset Records covers that content, plus a chain of title as far back as the county’s records go and an owner profile, in the Title Search & Asset Equity Analysis: $595 flat, delivered in 1 to 3+ days, depending on the county and complexity.
What is an owner and encumbrance report?
An owner and encumbrance report answers 2 questions about one property: who holds title now, and what is recorded against it that has not been released. It lists the vesting, the legal description, and the open mortgages, liens, judgments and pending suits. It is a report on the public record, not an insurance policy on title.
O&E Snapshot
| Report | Title Search & Asset Equity Analysis, one parcel |
|---|---|
| Price | $595 flat per property |
| Delivery | 1 to 5 days, depending on complexity and county |
| Owner | Legal description and vesting; owner's legal name, nicknames and aliases |
| Encumbrances | First and second mortgages and lines of credit; voluntary and involuntary liens, lis pendens and judgments; assignments and UCC filings |
| Releases | Lien and mortgage releases, so open and satisfied items are separated |
| Beyond an O&E | full transfer history, owner profile, building permits, recorded easements, state-specific analysis |
| What it is not | A records examination, not title insurance |
Five Facts About O&E Reports
- Florida wrote the term into statute. The 2016 text of Fla. Stat. 627.7843 defined an ownership and encumbrance report as a report that discloses documents imparting constructive notice in the official records for specified real property.
- That same text barred an O&E from stating or implying any opinion, warranty, insurance or similar assurance as to the status of title.
- It also required consumer O&E reports to be on approved forms and capped liability for incorrect information at $1,000.
- Chapter 2017-132, Laws of Florida, replaced the term with "property information report". The current text limits the issuer's liability to the amount paid and to the recipients named in the report.
- The current Florida definition reaches past the official records to the tax collector's records of property taxes and special assessments, and to the Secretary of State filing office.
Pricing
| Report | Price | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Skip Trace | $95 | Locating an owner or borrower |
| Asset Profile Report | $195 | Owner-level assets, statewide or nationwide |
| Creditor-Status Profile | $295 | FCRA permissible-purpose collection of an existing judgment |
| Title Search & Asset Equity Analysis | $595 | One property: owner, vesting, open encumbrances, releases, chain of title as far back as the county’s records go |
$595 flat per property, delivered in 1 to 3+ days, depending on the county and complexity. No escrow account and no title company engagement. This is a records examination, not title insurance.
What does an O&E report show?
An O&E report shows 2 layers of one property: ownership and encumbrances. The ownership layer is the vesting deed, the exact names on title and the legal description. The encumbrance layer is every recorded claim that is still open: mortgages, credit lines, judgments, tax and other liens, and pending suits, with the documents that released anything paid.
Providers differ on the details, so read the scope before you rely on one. These are the items an O&E is normally expected to answer, and where the Title Search & Asset Equity Analysis covers each:
| Question | Where the answer comes from | In the Title Search & Asset Equity Analysis |
|---|---|---|
| Who owns it, and how is title held? | The vesting deed in the county records | Legal description and vesting; copy of the current deed where the image is online |
| Which mortgages are open? | Recorded mortgages or deeds of trust, matched against releases | First and second mortgages, including lines of credit, with releases |
| Is the loan held by the original lender? | Recorded assignments | Assignments, liens, UCC filings and judgments |
| Are there judgments or other liens? | Recorder and court indexes under the owner's name | Property lien report: voluntary and involuntary liens, lis pendens and judgments |
| Is anything pending? | Recorded lis pendens and foreclosure filings | Lis pendens and foreclosure activity, if any |
| Has the owner filed bankruptcy? | Federal court records | Bankruptcy search, with filing details if a bankruptcy was filed |
What does an O&E report leave out?
An O&E report leaves out 3 things people often assume it covers: the history before the current owner, anything never recorded, and any promise about title. It describes the record as of the search date. It does not insure the result, and it cannot show a defect the record does not contain.
- The earlier chain. An O&E is built around the current owner. A break in title two owners back, an unprobated estate or a deed signed by the wrong party sits in the chain, which is why the Title Search & Asset Equity Analysis reads the transfer history as far back as the county’s records go.
- Unrecorded claims. Unpaid work that has not become a recorded lien, association dues not yet recorded, and municipal charges held only by a city department are invisible to any records report.
- Survey and possession. Boundary disputes, encroachments and people living on the land are matters for a survey and an inspection, not a records search.
- Assurance. As the Florida statute puts it for these reports, there is no warranty or insurance. If you need protection against what the record cannot show, you need a title insurance policy.
O&E report vs title search vs title commitment
The three are often confused because they draw on the same county records. They differ in how far back they read, whether they look at the owner as a person, and whether anyone stands behind the result.
| O&E report | Title Search & Asset Equity Analysis | Title commitment | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reads back | Built around the current owner | transfers as far back as the county’s records go | Whatever the insurer's examiner requires |
| Open encumbrances | Yes | Yes, with releases matched | Listed as exceptions and requirements |
| Owner as a person | Not usually | Owner profile, bankruptcy search, judgments and court records | Only as it affects the policy |
| Insurance | No | No | An offer to insure, subject to conditions |
| How you order it | From a title company or records vendor | Online at usassetrecords.com, no escrow | Through a title insurer, usually in escrow |
| Price | Set by each vendor | $595 flat per property | Set by the insurer and the transaction |
If a processor, servicer or closing team has asked you for an O&E, the Title Search & Asset Equity Analysis answers the same questions and adds the chain and the owner. If they need a policy, no records report replaces one. For the parcel-only lien question, see property lien search; for the deeper history, see chain of title.
Who orders an owner and encumbrance report?
An O&E is ordered when someone needs the current position on 1 property without paying for a policy they will not use. The common buyers are lenders, note and loan servicers, investors and creditors, and each reads it for a different number.
- Private and hard money lenders confirm that the borrower owns the property and see which liens sit ahead of a new loan. See title search for hard money lenders.
- Note buyers confirm the lien they are buying is recorded, assigned and still open. See title search for note buyers.
- Auction and pre-foreclosure investors check which liens could survive a sale before they bid. See title search for foreclosure auction buyers and pre-foreclosure property research.
- Judgment creditors who already know the debtor owns a parcel check whether there is equity worth pursuing. Finding what the debtor owns in the first place is a different report: the judgment collection asset search and the $295 Creditor-Status Profile.
How much does an O&E report cost?
$595 flat per property is the price of the report that covers an O&E at U.S. Asset Records. It is the Title Search & Asset Equity Analysis, delivered in 1 to 3+ days, depending on the county and complexity, and it adds the chain of title and the owner profile. Other vendors set their own O&E prices, so compare what each one actually reads.
The price does not change with the number of liens found. You do not open escrow or sign a contract. For how title report prices are built more generally, see preliminary title report cost.
What the Title Search & Asset Equity Analysis includes
The report examines one property and the person or entity that owns it, and arrives as a printable PDF. The owner and encumbrance content:
- Legal description and vesting, with easement appurtenant detail where recorded
- Copy of the current deed and all recorded document images, retrieved even when the county has not digitized them
- First and second mortgages, including lines of credit opened on the property
- Property lien report: voluntary and involuntary liens, lis pendens and judgments filed against the property
- Assignments, liens, UCC filings and judgments
- Lien and mortgage releases
- Foreclosure activity, if any
And what goes beyond a standard O&E:
- Title search and transfer history (grantor and grantee), as far back as the county’s records go
- Transaction history: transfers with prior mortgage and sale information
- Individual profile report on the owner, a bankruptcy search, and judgments, criminal records and court records
- Property valuation by comparable sales; parcel, zoning and flood maps
- Building permits, recorded easements and a full state-specific analysis
The full list is on the Title Search & Asset Equity Analysis page. Not included: bank or brokerage balances, a title insurance policy, or an opinion on marketability.
How to order
- Identify the property. Street address, or the assessor parcel number if there is no street address, with the county and state.
- Tell us the context. The owner's name if you know it, the purpose of your matter, and any deadline. If we cannot meet your deadline, we will reach out to you.
- Pick a format. Expanded Title Search with Asset Equity Analysis, Individual/Entity Asset Equity Analysis, or Preliminary Title Report with Schedules, $595 for every option.
- Receive the PDF. Delivered in 1 to 5 days, depending on complexity and county.
Sources. Public records and licensed databases: county recorder and clerk indexes for deeds, mortgages, assignments, liens, releases and easements; Secretary of State filings for entities that hold title; and court records for judgments, pending cases and bankruptcy. Every finding carries the document number of the record where it was found, and the property owner is never contacted. Legal references on this page: Fla. Stat. 627.7843 (2016) and Fla. Stat. 627.7843 (2025), read on the Florida Senate site on October 20, 2026. More on the firm is on the about U.S. Asset Records page.
Order Your Report
Flat-fee pricing. No contracts, no retainer, no escrow account. Delivered in 1 to 5 days, depending on complexity and county.
Order Title Search & Asset Equity Analysis, $595Owner and Encumbrance Report Questions
What is an O&E report in real estate?
An O&E, or owner and encumbrance report, names the current owner of record of one property and lists the open mortgages, liens, judgments and pending suits recorded against it. It is a report on the public record as of the search date. It does not insure title, and it does not read the full history of earlier owners.
What is the difference between an O&E report and a title search?
An O&E is built around the current owner: who holds title now and what is open against it. A title search also reads the chain of transfers before that owner. The U.S. Asset Records Title Search & Asset Equity Analysis does both, reading transfers as far back as the county’s records go, and adds a profile of the owner.
Is an owner and encumbrance report the same as title insurance?
No. An O&E describes what is recorded. Title insurance is a policy from a licensed insurer that covers defects a records search cannot reveal. Florida's statute on these reports says they may not state or imply any opinion, warranty or insurance on title. U.S. Asset Records is a records research firm, not a title insurer.
How far back does an O&E report go?
A standard O&E is built around the current owner and the encumbrances still open, so it does not set out the earlier chain. The Title Search & Asset Equity Analysis reads the transfer history as far back as the county’s records go, and matches each mortgage and lien to its release.
How much does an owner and encumbrance report cost?
The U.S. Asset Records report that covers an O&E is the Title Search & Asset Equity Analysis at $595 flat per property. The price does not change with the number of liens found, and there is no escrow account or contract. Other vendors set their own O&E prices, so compare what each one reads before you choose.
How long does an O&E report take?
The Title Search & Asset Equity Analysis is delivered in 1 to 3+ days, depending on the county and complexity. Enter any deadline in the order form. If we cannot meet it, we will reach out to you.
Can I get an O&E report without opening escrow?
Yes. The Title Search & Asset Equity Analysis is ordered online at a published flat fee of $595 per property, with no escrow account, no title company engagement and no contract. You need the property address or assessor parcel number, the county and state, and the owner's name if you know it.
What is a property information report in Florida?
It is Florida's current name for what its statute used to call an ownership and encumbrance report. Under Fla. Stat. 627.7843, it discloses information from the official records, the tax collector's records of property taxes and special assessments, and the Secretary of State filing office. The issuer's liability is limited to the amount paid.
Related Property Reports
For the lien question on its own, read property lien search; for liens that follow the owner rather than the parcel, liens against a property owner. If you have not identified the owner yet, start with property owner search. To order without a closing, see title search without escrow, and to read a report you already have, how to read a preliminary title report.
Order the Report That Covers Your O&E
$595 flat per property, delivered in 1 to 3+ days, depending on the county and complexity. The current owner and vesting, every open mortgage, lien and judgment matched to its release, the chain of title and the owner behind it.
Order Title Search & Asset Equity Analysis, $595