When I bought the current house I live in read the title insurance policy I was offered as well as that of the seller. Turns out both policies offered protection in perpetuity. Which means there's no need for me to buy the insurance; if someone challenges my title I can always sue the seller's insurance (even decades later after the seller has died) and make them take care of it. So obviously I didn't want to buy the insurance as I was already insured!

Well, very long faces all around the table. Title insurances pretty much have a monopoly in California -- they do most of the title transfers (which they charge for) and refuse to do so if you don't buy insurance from them.

I read up on it and technically I can transfer title without them, and should have no trouble finding a lawyer to help me...but all the folks involved live locally and it doesn't pay to piss them off (I later bought more property around town). So...I paid.