What kind of off-title searches does a lawyer perform when preparing for a property closing?

Years ago, lawyers would perform a number of off-title searches in the lead-up to the closing date on a property purchase, including searches for outstanding work permits, outstanding water arrears, zoning compliance, and perhaps even ordering a survey. Each of these searches would take time and cost money. Nowadays, title insurance policies provide coverage for a lot of the issues these searches would identify, so many clients do not instruct their lawyers to perform these searches. Typically, the only off-title search a lawyer will perform is ordering a tax certificate to determine whether there are tax arrears owing on the property, and the review of any up-to-date surveys that may be in the seller’s possession. In certain instances, it may be prudent to conduct other searches, for example, if the buyer intends to use the property for a purpose it may not be zoned for, the lawyer should perform a zoning search.