Frequently Asked Questions:
A: Cornerstone Abstract and Settlement is owned by Michael J. Menard and Alan Acker. Cornerstone Abstract and Settlement functions as a full-service land resources company serving landowners and professionals in the fields of banking, real estate and natural resource exploration throughout Pennsylvania. To learn more about who we are, click Here.
Q: Where is our service area?
A: Cornerstone Abstract and Settlement has offices in Coudersport and Wellsboro, PA. We provide services throughout North-Central Pennsylvania. Our service areas are listed Here.
Q: What is oil, gas, and mineral rights?
A: When real estate is sold, oil, gas and mineral (subsurface) rights can be reserved by landowners or conveyed along with the surface rights. All landowners should be aware of whether they own the rights to substances which lie below the surface of their property, if they or someone else wishes to lease those rights for drilling. Cornerstone Abstract and Settlement professional abstractors will research your property’s chain of title to determine whether you own subsurface rights.
Q: What is the cost of your services?
A: Cost is dependent on the type of service ordered and the scope of service as requested by the client. You can see our price list Here to get a general idea of our pricing. A quote will be provided during an initial consultation.
Q: What surface services do you provide?
A: In addition to oil, gas and mineral rights searches Cornerstone Abstract and Settlement provides surface title searches to determine whether properties have clear title. We work with banks, real estate agencies and attorneys to provide title insurance for property transactions. We also assist in determining rights-of-way on properties.
Definitions
Project Management: We oversee specific projects for clients in a timely and efficient manner.
Right-Of-Way: We provide clients with right-of-way acquisition by providing them with accurate information and assistance.
Example: A company needs to use a particular road to get to their place of business, but the road crosses over someone else’s property, so they need to obtain legal permission to use that road. This is right-of-way acquisition.
Title Research: When you buy a home or piece of property, you need to have a search done on that property to be sure the title is clear. Our professional abstractors provide surface title searches to determine this. If the title is clear, we can then issue a title insurance policy which insures that the title to that property is clean and does not have any issues
