Make a Claim

FCT is a pioneer in title insurance in Canada. Our several decades of experience allows us to constantly adapt and enhance our coverage to remain competitive in the marketplace.

Over the decades, we have observed common misconceptions relating to what title insurance covers and does not cover. Here are some resources to help you understand the difference between what is and isn’t’ covered.

What’s covered: real-life paid claims stories

What’s not covered: denied claims scenarios

Under the terms of your policy, you must give prompt notice of your claim. Failure to do so could impact your coverage. As soon as you know of anything that might be covered by your title policy notify us in writing by sending an email to claims@fct.ca or by filling in the claims submission form.

FCT typically processes residential title insurance claims under three major categories:

Building Permit and/or Work Orders

Have you received a notice from the municipality that there is an outstanding work order or that a previous owner completed work on the property without the required building permits? If the above or similar is the case, you may have a Title Insurance claim in the nature of Building Permits or Work Orders.

Survey, Title including Fraud, Forgery or Impersonation affecting your title

Is there an issue pertaining to the ownership of the property or the boundaries of the property? Have structures been built too close to property lines? If the above or similar is the case, you may have a Title Insurance claim in the nature of Survey and Title issues. Or is your property rented or vacant property now occupied by people claiming to be the owners? Have you received notice from a lender or lawyer advising that you are behind in mortgage payments (but you don’t have a mortgage)? Have you discovered that a family member has forged your signature to take out a loan in your name secured by your property?

If you did not authorize these actions, you should contact FCT and submit a claim under your policy.

Tax, Utility and Condo Liens

Are property taxes, utility payments, or condo maintenance fees overdue from the previous property owner? Has a lien been put on the property due to unpaid bills? If the above or similar is the case, you may have a Title Insurance claim in the nature of Tax, Utility and Condo Liens.

There are many other circumstances captured by your title policy and so you may still begin the claims process and a dedicated claims handler will contact you for further information.

For fraud related claims, please select Survey, Title including Fraud, Forgery or Impersonation affecting your title as the nature of your claim.

Depending on the nature of your claim, you will need various documents. In most cases, these documents would be included in the package your lawyer/notary gave you when you purchased your home. Based on the nature of the claim, FCT typically requires the following:

Building Permit and/or Work Orders claims:

It is likely you will need to supply the following documents to complete your claim:

• Documentation from Municipality (if any)
• Agreement of Purchase and Sale, Contract of Purchase and Sale, Purchase Agreement or equivalent
• Reporting Letter
• Seller’s Property Information Sheet
• Home Inspection Report
• MLS Listing
• Any Supporting Documents

Survey, Title including Fraud, Forgery or Impersonation affecting your title:

It is likely you will need to supply the following documents to complete your claim:

• Survey
• Transfer/Deed of Land
• Title Search
• Agreement of Purchase and Sale, Contract of Purchase and Sale, Purchase Agreement or equivalent
• Reporting Letter
• MLS Listing
• Any Supporting Documents that you feel assist or support your submission

Tax, Utility and Condo Lien claims:

It is likely you will need to supply the following documents to complete your claim:

• Current Bill
• Request to Vendor for Payment
• Proof of payment by insured
• Statement of Adjustments
• Vendor’s Undertaking to Re-adjust
• Transfer/Deed of Land
• Agreement of Purchase and Sale, Contract of Purchase and Sale, Purchase Agreement or equivalent
• Status Certificate/Estoppel Certificate
• Any Supporting Documents

You can submit your claim online without submitting the above documents. However, supplying as much information as possible will help us process your claim faster. If you’re not sure of the documents you need to start a claim, you can look for these in the documentation your lawyer/notary gave you when you purchased your home or call the claims handling team at 1.866.515.5516.

You’re ready to Make a Claim. Simply fill out the information and submit your request. At any time during the process, you can contact the claims handling team at 1.866.515.5516 or click on the Support button at the bottom of the screen to start a Live Chat. A claims handler will be available to assist you Monday to Friday, between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. (ET).

Great, your part is done! A claims handler will be assigned to your claim and will contact you for any additional information needed.

We ask for your patience as we may require further documents or the expertise of third parties before determining applicable coverage under your policy. Our claims handlers are experts in understanding what is and isn’t covered under the policy however their role is different from an insurance adjuster in the traditional sense – we rely on others for any missing information. Your handler may need to engage an adjuster, a surveyor, an appraiser or a lawyer in order to determine coverage and any remedy/settlement.  Once coverage is confirmed, the resolution will depend on the fact situation.

The length of time to either remedy the covered matter or settle the claim can range between days, weeks or even months. We do our utmost to communicate upfront, manage your expectations and reach a resolution as quick as we can. In some cases, matters will be outside our control. During this period, you can always contact your dedicated claims handler directly, call FCT at 1.866.515.5516, or email claims@fct.ca to get an update on your claim.

FCT is required to repay you only for settlement costs, legal fees and expenses that we approve in advance. As soon as you know of anything that might be covered by your title policy, please notify us in writing by sending an email to claims@fct.ca, or by filling the online claims submission form.

These are some of the most common terms you will encounter through your claims experience.  Some of the terms appear in the FCT residential owner policy and what follows below is a summarized version of some of those terms.

Go to glossary