FAQ
Form 22T Title Contingency for Washington Buyers
Form 22T gives the buyer a defined window to review the preliminary title commitment and object to recorded title problems before closing.
What the title commitment shows
After mutual acceptance, the title company issues a preliminary commitment listing easements, covenants and CCRs, liens, encroachment agreements, road-maintenance agreements, and ownership issues.
Under Form 22T, the buyer has a negotiated review period to make written objections. The seller has an opportunity to cure, and unresolved material objections can provide an exit.
What deserves a close read
Look for easements crossing building areas, CCRs restricting intended uses such as ADUs, shops, animals, or home businesses, private-road and shared-driveway obligations, unreleased liens, and boundary disputes.
Rural Snohomish and Skagit parcels need particular review of access easements and shared well or road agreements.
Why the window matters
Most title clears quietly. The value is catching the unusual recorded restriction or lien before closing, rather than after it becomes the buyer's problem.
Sources: NWMLS Form 22T. This is general information, not legal advice.
Next Steps for Buyers
Common Buyer Questions
What is Form 22T in Washington?
NWMLS Form 22T is the Title Contingency Addendum. It gives the buyer a defined period to review the preliminary title commitment and object in writing to specific exceptions, with a seller cure opportunity and a buyer exit if material objections cannot be resolved.
What should a buyer look for in a preliminary title commitment?
Easements crossing building areas, CCRs restricting intended use, private road and shared driveway maintenance obligations, unreleased liens, and any sign of boundary or ownership disputes. Rural parcels warrant particular attention to access and shared well or road agreements.
What happens if there is a title problem before closing?
Under the title contingency the buyer objects in writing within the review period, the seller has an opportunity to cure, and if a material problem cannot be resolved the contingency provides the buyer a path out of the agreement.