The ALTA 17 series endorsements are the Access and Entry endorsements. Access endorsements are some of the most frequently-requested endorsements in commercial title insurance transactions. They are indispensable because access and entry are so crucial to the use of real property, particularly as it pertains to commercial properties. Having both vehicular and pedestrian access are necessary for most properties, and the lack of one or both can have a significant impact on the value and utility of real estate.
This does not mean that the access endorsements will be applicable in every circumstance; there are plenty of properties where there is no actual vehicular access, much like there are properties that enjoy no pedestrian access. The lack of one or the other type of access will not necessarily render a property’s title defective. In those circumstances where the access is critical, however, the ALTA 17 series endorsements provide the additional specific assurances of access.
ALTA 17 Access & Entry
The ALTA 17 Access and Entry endorsement provides assurance that the land identified in the title insurance policy both abuts and has actually vehicular and pedestrian access to and from an identified street (or identified streets, where the land abuts two or more different streets).
The ALTA 17 will also provide assurance against loss or damage in the event that the identified street or streets are not physically open and publicly maintained. Finally, it provides insurance against loss or damage in the event that the insured policyholder has no right to use existing curb cuts or entries along that portion of the street(s) abutting the land.