What Is an Cooperative Apartment Lien Search? (2025)

Cooperative Apartment Lien Search, Certification, and Report

Certification Page

Effective date: [Date Issued]
Certified to: [Purchaser Name]
Copy sent to: [Purchaser’s and Seller’s Lawyers]
Borrower / Purchaser : [Purchaser Name]
Owner / Seller : [Seller Name]

Cooperative apartment building premises (“Premises”):
– Address :
– County :
– City :
– Block :
– Lot :
– Apartment / Unit :

Fee title to Premises: [Cooperative Corporation Name]
– By deed from :
– Dated :
– Recorded :

[Title Search Company] certifies that the above-listed searches have been made of public records in the county specified above concerning the following name(s): [Purchaser Name]; [Cooperative Corporation Name]; [Seller Name]

Searches Made

Searches                                                          Returns

UCC Financing Statements
– County*                                                         0
– State                                                               0
Federal Tax Liens
– County                                                           0
– State                                                               0
Judgments / NY Tax Liens                          0
Bankruptcies                                                  0
Mechanics’ Liens                                           0
Lis Pendens                                                     0
Patriot Act (OFAC)                                        0
Mortgages on Premises                                Enclosed
Mortgages on Units                                       0

*Returns include only those UCC’s that affect both the names searched and the referenced Premises.

Cooperative Apartment Lien Search – Mortgages on Premises

Subordinate Mortgage held of record by: [Sample Lender Name]
Mortgagor: [Cooperative Corporation Name]
Amount of lien: $X,000,000
Pursuant to: Mortgage recorded 2/15/1995 in Reel 1231 Page 2219
Consolidated mortgages held of record by: 
Mortgagor: [Cooperative Corporation Name]
Amount of consolidated lien: $ 3,900,000
Pursuant to: Consolidation, Modification and Extension Agreement recorded 9/21/1995 in Reel 1231 Page 3516
Mortgages consolidated: Reel 245 Page 1924; Reel 1066 Page 1776; Reel 1588 Page 1945;
Assignment of Leases & Rents held by: New York Sample Bank
Assignor: [Cooperative Corporation Name]
Pursuant to: Assignment of Leases and Rents recorded 8/15/1995 in Reel 1929 Page 1111.
Mortgage held of record by: [Sample Private or Public Lender Name]
Mortgagor: [Cooperative Corporation Name]
Amount of lien: $ 590,000
Pursuant to: Mortgage recorded 1/14/1998 in Reel 1666 Page 1492, as assigned in Reel 2549 Page 1066, recorded 9/11/2001.
Assignment of Leases & Rents held by: [Sample Private or Public Lender Name]
Assignor: [Cooperative Corporation Name]
Pursuant to: Assignment of Leases and Rents recorded 1/14/1998 in Reel 2541 Page 1666, as assigned in Reel 3540 Page 1241.

Bottom line

A title company can conduct lien searches to identify any existing mortgages, liens, or judgments that could “encumber the co-op shares,” according to Lauren T. Piechocki, a real estate attorney at Braverman Greenspun. For instance, it’s important to have your attorney verify that the seller’s mortgage has been paid off, ensuring that the shares and lease are no longer used as collateral for the seller’s previous mortgage.

Liens can sometimes be misfiled, often due to errors made during the recording process. While some recording issues are more complex to resolve than others, a good first step is to contact the individual or entity that initially recorded the lien. The party that recorded the lien usually has the authority to correct mistakes in its filing.