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The Ghosts in Your Deed: Why Eastern Kentucky Property Titles Hide Legal Landmines No Survey Can Find

The things that destroy real estate deals in our region are the things you can't see on a map.

TL;DR: Eastern Kentucky properties—especially in mining areas like Belfry, Betsy Layne, and McDowell—carry invisible legal complications: severed mineral rights, clouded heirship chains, unrecorded easements, and century-old coal company agreements. These “legal landmines” aren’t visible on surveys or inspections. Only experienced title attorneys who understand Kentucky property law, mining history, and generational ownership patterns can uncover and resolve them before they explode your transaction.


You just bought your dream property in Floyd County. Five beautiful acres with a creek running through it, mountain views, and room for your kids to run. The survey looks perfect. The inspection was clean. You signed the papers, got the keys, and moved in.

Six months later, a coal company shows up with bulldozers and easement documents from 1952 giving them the right to build a haul road straight through what you thought was your backyard. The legal description is clear. The rights were severed decades before you were born. And there’s absolutely nothing you can do about it except watch heavy equipment tear up your property.

Or maybe you’re trying to sell that family land in Pike County that’s been in your name for three years. Except the title company discovers that the deed from 1974 doesn’t actually convey ownership to you—it conveys it to “The Heirs of John Smith,” and now you need to track down twelve different grandchildren scattered across four states, get them all to sign off, and pray none of them decide to challenge the distribution.

Or perhaps you’ve been using that driveway to reach your house in McDowell for fifteen years when suddenly your neighbor—new owners who just moved in—put up a gate and inform you there’s no recorded easement giving you the right to cross their property. Your only access to your own home just disappeared because someone seventy years ago did a handshake deal instead of recording proper paperwork.

Welcome to Eastern Kentucky real estate, where the biggest problems aren’t termites or foundation cracks—they’re invisible legal complications buried in deed books, coal company agreements, probate records, and century-old mineral severance documents that no property inspection or survey will ever reveal.

After decades of combined legal experience handling real estate transactions across Pike County, Floyd County, and the coalfields of Eastern Kentucky, we can tell you this with absolute certainty: the things that destroy real estate deals in our region are the things you can’t see on a map.

What Are “Legal Landmines” in Real Estate? (And Why Eastern Kentucky Is Full of Them)

A legal landmine is any title defect, ownership complication, or property rights issue that isn’t immediately obvious from physical inspection but can destroy property value, prevent transactions, or create years of legal battles.

These aren’t hypothetical problems. These are issues we encounter regularly in Pike County, Floyd County, and throughout Eastern Kentucky’s mining regions:

Severed Mineral Rights

Surface ownership separated from subsurface rights, often giving coal companies or mineral rights holders extensive control over “your” property.

Clouded Title from Incomplete Probate

Properties that passed through generations without proper estate settlement, creating ownership uncertainty and requiring complex heirship research.

Unrecorded Easements and Rights of Way

Driveways, utilities, and access routes established through handshake agreements that were never formally documented.

Coal Company Agreements and Leases

Historical mining rights, haul road easements, and coal extraction agreements that remain valid decades after mines closed.

Boundary Disputes from Imprecise Legal Descriptions

Deed descriptions referencing “the old oak tree” or “the creek bed” that create ambiguity about actual property lines.

Undisclosed Liens from Failed Businesses

Judgment liens, tax liens, and business debt that attached to property and were never properly released.

These problems are especially common in Eastern Kentucky because:

Our region’s mining heritage created complex property rights structures that don’t exist in areas without coal extraction history. Mineral severance was standard practice from the 1890s through the 1970s, affecting thousands of properties.

Generational property ownership is the norm. Land has often been in the same family for 50, 75, even 100 years, passing through multiple generations with varying levels of formal documentation.

Informal arrangements were culturally acceptable. Handshake deals, family agreements, and gentleman’s understandings were how business was done—creating problems now when formal documentation is required.

Economic challenges affected record-keeping. When times were tough, families sometimes couldn’t afford attorneys to properly settle estates or record documents, leaving gaps in the chain of title.

Geographic isolation limited access to legal services. In areas where the nearest attorney was 30 miles away and road access was limited, formal legal procedures were often skipped.

As John puts it, “Every deed in Eastern Kentucky tells a story. Sometimes it’s a simple story with a clear beginning and end. But often it’s more like a novel with missing chapters, and our job is to figure out what happened in between.”

Every deed in Eastern Kentucky tells a story. Sometimes it’s a simple story with a clear beginning and end. But often it’s more like a novel with missing chapters, and our job is to figure out what happened in between.

John Holder

Eastern KY Title, Kentucky Title Company, Real Estate Closing, Title Insurance, Lewis County, Wolfe County, Escrow Services, Residential Title Search, Commercial Real Estate, property transaction protection infographic.

Three Real Legal Landmines That Nearly Destroyed Transactions

Let us walk you through three situations we’ve handled that demonstrate exactly how these invisible problems surface—and how they’re resolved when you have experienced title attorneys who understand Eastern Kentucky property law.

The Heirship Nightmare: 12 Grandchildren and One Piece of Land

A buyer in Floyd County found the perfect property for their business: three acres with good road frontage in a growing area. The seller had owned it for decades, seemed eager to sell, and the price was reasonable.

During our title examination, we discovered a problem. The current “owner” had never actually received clear title. The property had been conveyed in 1974 through a deed that read: “To John Smith and upon his death to his heirs.”

John Smith died in 1989 without a will. The property was never formally probated. John’s children simply continued paying property taxes and assumed they owned it. When one of those children—our seller—decided to sell the property, they believed they had the right to do so.

But legally? The property belonged to “The Heirs of John Smith,” which required identifying all legal heirs and obtaining proper conveyance from each one.

Our research identified:

  • 4 children of John Smith (2 living, 2 deceased)
  • 8 grandchildren from the deceased children
  • Questions about potential illegitimate children
  • One grandchild who’d been adopted and whose legal status was unclear
  • Two heirs living out of state with no current contact information
  • One heir with mental incapacity requiring a guardian ad litem

Clearing this title required:

  • Comprehensive genealogical research
  • Locating heirs across multiple states
  • Obtaining death certificates for deceased heirs
  • Working with a guardian for the incapacitated heir
  • Drafting and recording proper deeds from all living heirs
  • Filing a quiet title action to resolve any claims from potential unknown heirs
  • Nearly six months of coordinated legal work

The transaction eventually closed, but only because we had the legal expertise and the patience to untangle fifty years of incomplete probate. A title company without attorney leadership would have simply declared the title “unmarketable” and walked away.

This scenario is common in Eastern Kentucky because informal family arrangements—”Dad left the land to all of us kids”—seemed perfectly reasonable until someone tried to sell. The problem isn’t the families. The problem is that property law requires formal documentation that didn’t exist.

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The Mineral Rights Surprise: 50 Acres With a Coal Company in the Backyard

A young couple purchased a beautiful 50-acre property in Pike County. Rolling hills, mature trees, a stream running through it—everything they’d dreamed of for raising their family.

The deed clearly conveyed “50 acres, more or less” with a legal description matching the survey. The title insurance policy listed a mineral severance from 1948, which the buyers acknowledged. They understood that a coal company owned the mineral rights, but the mine had been closed since the 1980s. They assumed the severance was a historical footnote.

Three years after purchase, the couple received notice from a coal company: they were exercising their rights under the 1948 mineral severance to access coal reserves through surface operations. The severance agreement included broad language giving the coal company the right to:

  • Build haul roads across the surface
  • Establish equipment staging areas
  • Divert streams if necessary for mining operations
  • Remove timber if it interfered with mining
  • Access the property 24/7 for mining-related activities

The couple was devastated. Their “50 acres” was about to become an active mining site with heavy equipment, coal trucks, and constant industrial activity.

They called us in a panic, hoping we could stop it. The hard truth? Everything the coal company was doing was legal and clearly documented in the 1948 severance agreement that had been recorded in the Pike County Clerk’s office for 75 years.

The mineral severance was disclosed on the title insurance policy, but neither the buyers nor their previous title company had fully explained what it meant. “Severed mineral rights” sounded like an abstract legal concept. They didn’t understand it meant a coal company could literally return decades later and transform their property into an industrial site.

We reviewed their title insurance policy and the original severance documents. The policy correctly disclosed the severance but did not cover the surface damage—that’s standard in title insurance. The buyers had no legal recourse against the coal company.

Our work shifted to damage control and negotiation:

  • Reviewing the exact scope of the coal company’s rights under the 1948 agreement
  • Identifying any limitations or restrictions in the severance language
  • Negotiating with the coal company for surface use agreements that minimized impact
  • Exploring whether the buyers could purchase the mineral rights (the company wasn’t interested)
  • Helping the buyers understand their limited legal options

The outcome wasn’t what the buyers wanted. The coal company proceeded with operations, though they agreed to reasonable limitations on haul road placement. The buyers ultimately sold the property at a significant loss and purchased elsewhere.

This is Eastern Kentucky’s most painful legal landmine: severed mineral rights that give companies extraordinary control over surface land. It’s legal. It’s documented. And unless you understand what you’re buying, it’s devastating.

As Lindon explains, “Mineral severance in Eastern Kentucky isn’t just a footnote in a deed—it’s a fundamental restructuring of property rights that most buyers don’t understand until it’s too late.”

Mineral severance in Eastern Kentucky isn’t just a footnote in a deed—it’s a fundamental restructuring of property rights that most buyers don’t understand until it’s too late.

Lindon Gullett

The Right of Way War: When Your Driveway Isn’t Really Yours

A property in McDowell had been accessed by the same driveway for forty years. The driveway crossed a neighbor’s land for about 300 feet before reaching the property. Everyone knew it. Everyone accepted it. It had always been that way.

The property changed hands several times over those forty years. Each time, the driveway access was mentioned verbally but never formally documented. No easement was ever recorded. The arrangement existed purely on neighborly goodwill and historical practice.

Then the neighboring property sold to new owners from out of state. The new neighbors, exercising their legal property rights, installed a gate across the driveway and informed our client that they had no legal right to cross the property.

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Our client was trapped. Their home was landlocked without the driveway. They couldn’t sell (no buyer would purchase a landlocked property). They couldn’t access their own home without trespassing. And legally, the neighbors were correct—there was no recorded easement.

We researched the property history thoroughly:

  • Reviewing all deeds for any mention of access rights
  • Searching for implied easements by prior use
  • Investigating whether prescriptive easement rights had been established
  • Examining whether the original property division created an easement by necessity
  • Looking for any documentation of the historical arrangement

Our research uncovered something useful: the original property had been divided in 1967, and both parcels were owned by the same person at that time. When property is divided and one parcel becomes landlocked, Kentucky law sometimes implies an easement by necessity. The question was whether that implied easement survived multiple subsequent transfers.

We filed a quiet title action seeking to establish a legal easement across the neighbor’s property based on:

  • Easement by necessity (the property was landlocked)
  • Prescriptive easement (40 years of continuous, open use)
  • Implied easement from the original property division

The litigation took eighteen months and cost our client $12,000 in legal fees. Ultimately, the court ruled in our client’s favor, establishing a formal easement and requiring it to be properly recorded. But the neighborly relationship was destroyed, and the financial and emotional cost was significant.

This situation could have been prevented if someone—at any point in forty years—had properly recorded an easement agreement. But handshake deals and informal arrangements are deeply embedded in Eastern Kentucky culture, and legal documentation often feels unnecessary until a conflict arises.

Why Eastern Kentucky’s Mining Heritage Creates Unique Title Complications

Our region’s coal mining history left behind a legal framework that complicates nearly every property transaction in Pike County, Floyd County, and surrounding areas.

Understanding this history is essential to understanding why Eastern Kentucky real estate is different:

The Mineral Severance Era (1890s-1970s)

During the coal boom, mineral rights were systematically separated from surface rights across thousands of properties. Coal companies and mineral speculators purchased subsurface rights while landowners retained surface ownership.

These severances were often:

  • Written in broad language giving mineral companies extensive rights
  • Sold for minimal compensation when families were economically desperate
  • Recorded in deed books but not explained to subsequent generations
  • Created without any expectation that mining would occur decades later

The result: a massive portion of Eastern Kentucky property has split ownership, with surface rights held by homeowners and mineral rights held by coal companies, investment groups, or mineral estates that have passed through multiple owners.

The Broad Form Deed Problem

Many mineral severances used “broad form” language that gave mineral rights holders not just the right to extract minerals, but also:

  • Surface access rights for mining operations
  • Rights to divert water and remove timber
  • Authority to construct roads and staging areas
  • Priority over surface owner’s rights in many disputes

Kentucky’s legislature eventually restricted broad form deeds through the 1988 Broad Form Deed Amendment to the state constitution, but this doesn’t invalidate severances created before 1988—it just limits future severances. Historical broad form deeds remain enforceable.

Abandoned Mines and Continuing Rights

Just because a mine closed in 1975 doesn’t mean the mineral rights expired. Mineral severances typically don’t have time limits. A coal company can return decades later and resume operations if economically viable coal remains.

Properties near historical mining operations may also have:

  • Subsidence risks from old underground mines
  • Contaminated water sources from acid mine drainage
  • Access roads and rail corridors with perpetual easements
  • Environmental liability from historical mining practices

The “Stripping” Era and Surface Damage

Surface mining (strip mining) became common in the 1960s-70s. Many mineral severances written before this era didn’t anticipate surface mining’s extensive impact. Courts have wrestled with balancing mineral owners’ extraction rights against surface owners’ property rights, with results that vary depending on specific deed language.

As John notes, “You can’t understand Eastern Kentucky property law without understanding coal. Every complication we see—the severances, the easements, the access disputes—traces back to mining. It’s not ancient history. It’s current reality affecting property values and transactions today.”

The Three Most Common Title Problems in Pike and Floyd Counties

Based on decades of combined experience handling closings throughout Eastern Kentucky’s coalfields, these are the title complications we encounter most frequently:

1. Clouded Title from Incomplete Probate

The Problem:
Property passed through one or more generations without proper estate settlement. The deed identifies owners as “heirs” or contains language like “to John Smith and his heirs” without specifying exactly who those heirs are.

Why It Happens:
Probate costs money. In tight economic times, families often skip formal probate and simply continue using property with the assumption that “everybody knows” who owns it. This works fine until someone tries to sell or mortgage the property.

How We Resolve It:

  • Comprehensive title examination going back 50-100+ years
  • Genealogical research to identify all legal heirs
  • Locating heirs across multiple states and potentially countries
  • Obtaining cooperation from all living heirs
  • Addressing deceased heirs through estate proceedings
  • Filing quiet title actions when heirs can’t be located
  • Recording corrective deeds that properly convey ownership

Time Required:
3-12 months depending on complexity

Cost Range:
$2,000-$15,000 in legal fees

2. Severed Mineral Rights and Coal Company Complications

The Problem:
Surface ownership is separated from subsurface mineral rights, creating split ownership with mineral rights holders having extensive (sometimes dominant) rights over the property.

Why It Happens:
Historical coal industry practices systematically separated mineral rights from surface rights across thousands of Eastern Kentucky properties, particularly from the 1890s through 1970s.

How We Resolve It:

  • Thorough title search identifying all mineral severances
  • Reviewing original severance documents to understand scope of rights
  • Clearly disclosing mineral rights complications to buyers
  • Explaining practical implications (not just legal boilerplate)
  • Negotiating purchase of mineral rights when possible
  • Obtaining title insurance with proper exclusions and limitations
  • Advising buyers on risks and potential future complications

Key Point:
Severed mineral rights can’t usually be “fixed”—they’re legal property interests. Our job is ensuring buyers fully understand what they’re purchasing and the risks involved.

3. Unrecorded Easements and Access Issues

The Problem:
Property access relies on driveways, roads, or paths crossing neighboring land without formal recorded easements. These arrangements exist through long-standing practice, neighborly goodwill, or verbal agreements.

Why It Happens:
Eastern Kentucky culture historically valued handshake deals and trusted relationships over formal legal documentation. Recording easements cost money and seemed unnecessary when “everybody knew” how things worked.

How We Resolve It:

  • Identifying access issues during title examination
  • Researching whether legal easements can be established through prescriptive use, easement by necessity, or implied easement
  • Negotiating formal easement agreements with current property owners
  • Drafting and recording proper easement documents
  • Filing legal actions to establish easements when necessary
  • Advising buyers on access risks before purchase

Time Required:
2 weeks to 24 months depending on cooperation

Cost Range:
$500 (simple recorded easement) to $20,000+ (contested litigation)

Why Software Can’t Fix These Problems (But Experienced Attorneys Can)

The title insurance industry has increasingly moved toward automation, using software systems to process routine transactions with minimal human review. This works fine for newer suburban properties with clean title histories.

It fails catastrophically in Eastern Kentucky.

Here’s why computer systems can’t handle our region’s title complications:

Software identifies problems but can’t solve them.

Automated title searches can flag a mineral severance or an unclear heir designation. But they can’t:

  • Research courthouse records to find the original severance agreement
  • Track down twelve grandchildren across four states
  • Negotiate with a coal company about access rights
  • Analyze 100 years of deed descriptions to establish chain of title
  • Draft legal documents to clear title defects
Computers don’t understand context.

A software system sees “to John Smith and his heirs” and flags it as a problem. An experienced Kentucky attorney understands the historical and cultural context of that language, knows Kentucky probate law, can identify the most efficient path to resolution, and has handled dozens of similar situations.

Automation can’t make judgment calls.

Is this mineral severance a deal-breaker or manageable risk? Does this unclear boundary description create real problems or is it resolvable through surveying? Should we pursue quiet title litigation or negotiate with the parties? These require legal expertise and experience—not algorithms.

Software doesn’t have courthouse relationships.

Resolving complex title issues often requires coordination with county clerks, PVA offices, probate courts, and other local institutions. We know these people. We understand their processes. We can call and get answers. A computer system in California can’t.

Complex title work is legal practice, not data processing.

Clearing title defects involves analyzing property law, researching case precedent, drafting legal documents, negotiating with parties, and sometimes litigating disputes. This is attorney work, requiring attorney expertise and judgment.

As Lindon explains, “Title software is a tool, not a solution. It’s like the difference between WebMD and an actual doctor. WebMD can tell you that you have symptoms. A doctor can diagnose what’s wrong and prescribe treatment. We’re the doctors.”

Red Flags That Your Eastern Kentucky Property Might Have Title Landmines

Not every property in Pike or Floyd County has severe title complications, but certain characteristics increase the likelihood:

Property Characteristics That Raise Red Flags:
  • Property has been in the same family for 40+ years with multiple generation changes
  • Located in areas with historical mining activity (Belfry, Betsy Layne, McDowell, etc.)
  • Access relies on driveways or roads crossing neighboring property
  • Deed references mineral rights, coal rights, or historical severances
  • Property includes significant acreage (more opportunity for boundary disputes and mineral complications)
  • Seller inherited property rather than purchasing it
  • Property passed through estates without formal probate
  • Deed descriptions reference landmarks rather than precise surveys (“to the oak tree,” “along the creek”)
  • Multiple small parcels were combined or divided over the years
  • Property was part of larger tracts that were subdivided historically
Title Search Red Flags:
  • Gaps in chain of title where ownership transfer isn’t clearly documented
  • References to “heirs” without specific identification
  • Multiple quit-claim deeds in the property history
  • Deed language indicating mineral severance at any point
  • Easements that aren’t clearly described or located
  • Tax liens or judgment liens that show satisfied but no recorded release
  • Probate proceedings that appear incomplete
  • Deed descriptions that don’t match current surveys
Seller Red Flags:
  • Seller can’t provide clear explanation of how they acquired ownership
  • Seller mentions “family land” or “inherited property” without documentation
  • Seller is uncertain about property boundaries or neighbors’ rights
  • Seller mentions historical mining on or near the property
  • Seller says “we’ve always used that driveway” without recorded easement
  • Seller is one of multiple family members with potential ownership claims
  • Seller is an estate or trust selling on behalf of deceased owners

If you see multiple red flags, you need experienced title attorneys—not an automated title system or a national company processing transactions from another state.

The Eastern KY Title Approach to Clearing Legal Landmines

Our process for handling complex title issues combines legal expertise, local knowledge, and genuine commitment to finding solutions:

1. Comprehensive Title Examination

We don’t just run automated searches. We examine:

  • Chain of title going back 60-100+ years
  • All recorded deeds, mortgages, liens, and encumbrances
  • Probate records for deceased owners
  • Mineral severance documents and coal company agreements
  • Easement and right-of-way records
  • Tax records and PVA information
  • Court records for relevant litigation
  • Family histories when dealing with heirship issues

This deep examination uncovers problems that automated systems miss.

2. Problem Analysis and Strategy Development

When we identify title defects, we don’t just report them—we analyze them and develop resolution strategies:

  • Assessing severity and impact on the transaction
  • Identifying all parties whose cooperation is needed
  • Determining the most efficient path to resolution
  • Estimating time and cost requirements
  • Evaluating legal options and precedent
  • Providing clear recommendations to clients

3. Active Problem Resolution

We don’t hand you a problem and wish you luck. We actively work to resolve title defects:

  • Drafting corrective deeds and legal documents
  • Negotiating with parties holding conflicting interests
  • Coordinating with coal companies and mineral rights holders
  • Locating and obtaining cooperation from heirs
  • Filing quiet title actions when necessary
  • Working with surveyors to resolve boundary disputes
  • Liaising with county officials and court systems

4. Client Education and Transparency

We explain complex title issues in plain English:

  • What the problem actually means in practical terms
  • How it affects property use and value
  • What risks remain even after resolution
  • Whether title insurance will cover specific issues
  • What buyers are actually purchasing

As John puts it, “Our job isn’t just clearing title—it’s making sure clients understand exactly what they’re buying and what risks they’re accepting.”

5. Title Insurance with Proper Exceptions

We issue title insurance policies backed by Stewart Title’s financial strength, with:

  • Clear documentation of all exceptions and exclusions
  • Proper disclosure of mineral rights and severances
  • Specific coverage terms explained in understandable language
  • Protection against unknown defects that escaped our examination
  • Institutional backing for defending claims

Your Action Plan: Protecting Yourself From Legal Landmines

Whether you’re buying property in Pike County, Floyd County, or anywhere in Eastern Kentucky’s coalfields, here’s how to protect yourself:

Before Making an Offer:

  • Ask sellers directly about mineral rights, easements, and access arrangements
  • Request copies of the current deed and any mineral severance documents
  • Drive the property multiple times and observe access routes
  • Talk to neighbors about property history and potential issues
  • Research the area’s mining history
  • Make your offer contingent on clear title examination

During Title Examination:

  • Use a title company with experienced Kentucky attorneys on staff
  • Insist on comprehensive title examination, not just automated searches
  • Request copies of all documents affecting the property (deeds, severances, easements)
  • Ask for plain-English explanations of any title issues
  • Understand what “exceptions” mean in your title insurance policy
  • Don’t proceed with closing until you’re comfortable with the title status

Before Closing:

  • Review the title insurance commitment carefully
  • Understand exactly what rights you’re purchasing (surface only? minerals included?)
  • Verify that access rights are properly documented
  • Confirm that any promised title defect resolutions were completed
  • Ask about risks that title insurance won’t cover
  • Get written documentation of any verbal agreements about property use

After Closing:

  • Keep all title documents in a safe, accessible location
  • Maintain good relationships with neighbors (especially regarding shared access)
  • Monitor property for any unauthorized activity
  • Address boundary or access disputes immediately before they escalate
  • Consider purchasing mineral rights if they become available
  • Properly record any easement agreements or property modifications

Why Local Attorneys Matter When the Landmines Are Local

National title companies processing Eastern Kentucky transactions from offices in Nashville, Columbus, or Charlotte can run automated title searches and issue insurance policies. What they can’t do is:

Understand the historical context of mineral severances, coal company agreements, and generational property ownership that shaped our region’s legal landscape.

Navigate relationships with county clerks, PVA offices, local attorneys, and courthouse staff who hold the keys to resolving complex title issues.

Interpret unclear deed descriptions that reference local landmarks, family names, and historical boundaries that only make sense to people who know the area.

Negotiate with local parties involved in title disputes, easement conflicts, and heirship issues—people who respond better to attorneys they know and trust.

Apply Kentucky property law properly to unique situations that require legal expertise, not just template documents and standard procedures.

Provide hands-on problem resolution instead of just identifying issues and declaring title “unmarketable.”

We’re attorneys first, title agents second. We’re Eastern Kentucky residents who understand the culture, history, and legal frameworks that make our region unique. We’re backed by Stewart Title’s institutional strength while maintaining the local accountability and expertise that actually matter.

When your property has legal landmines buried in 100 years of deed books, you need more than software and standardized processes. You need experienced Kentucky attorneys who’ve cleared hundreds of complicated titles and know exactly what they’re looking at when they open those dusty deed books in the Pike County or Floyd County Clerk’s office.


About Eastern KY Title: Our team combines legal expertise, local knowledge, and a commitment to client protection. Led by Market President John Holder and President Lindon Gullett (both licensed Kentucky attorneys), we deliver secure, accurate, and stress-free real estate closings for families, lenders, and real estate professionals across Eastern Kentucky.

Our Team:

  • John Holder – Market President & Title Agent, Attorney at Law (Licensed in Kentucky)
  • Lindon Gullett – President & Real Estate Attorney, Attorney at Law (Licensed in Kentucky), Former KY Assistant Attorney General

Professional Credentials:


Don’t Let Legal Landmines Destroy Your Real Estate Transaction

Protect your investment with title examination that goes beyond automated searches—led by experienced Kentucky attorneys who understand our region’s unique property complications.

Call us today at (606) 226-0024 or email info@easternkytitle.com to discuss your property transaction. We serve Pike County, Floyd County, and all of Eastern Kentucky with comprehensive title services backed by attorney expertise and Stewart Title’s financial strength.

Because the things you can’t see on a map are the things that matter most.

Best regards,
Eastern KY Title Team


FULL DISCLOSURE: We use AI to draft our blog content because, frankly, we’d rather spend our time closing deals and helping Kentucky realtors than staring at blank screens. But don’t worry, we’re not letting the robots run wild. John and Lindon edit every single post to make sure it’s factually accurate, Kentucky-specific, and doesn’t sound like it was written by someone who thinks Appalachia is a type of pasta. If the AI writes something dumb, we fix it. If you spot something we missed, call us out. We’re good for it.

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