A more thorough explanation:

A back-title letter is a letter sent by a title insurer to an attorney that provides information about the condition of the title to a piece of land as of a specific date. This letter is important because it allows the attorney to start examining the title from that date forward.

For example, if a person is buying a house, the title insurer will send a back-title letter to the attorney handling the transaction. The letter will state the condition of the title as of a certain date, such as the date the current owner purchased the property. The attorney can then use this information to examine the title from that date forward to ensure that there are no issues or problems with the title.

Another example is if a person is refinancing their mortgage. The title insurer will send a back-title letter to the attorney handling the refinance. The letter will state the condition of the title as of the date the current mortgage was taken out. The attorney can then use this information to examine the title from that date forward to ensure that there are no issues or problems with the title.