Lease of my land by previous owner

[skeiser]

I recently purchased a home and 6.6 acres. We realized that a local farmer was planting on part of our land. When we questioned him he produced a document that showed he has a 30 year lease that he payed a lump sum of $4600. the agreement was signed by the owner of the home at that time. The house has sold twice since. Now what? Are we bound to the terms of this deal made by a previous owner? It was not discovered during the title search. I will be contacting the title company on Monday for further info.
Thanks for any help.

 

[seniorjudge]

Was this lease recorded in the land deed records in the county where the land is?

 

[skeiser]

The document was notarized and then recorded in the county where the property is located. I am unsure if this is the same thing as being filed in the land deeds records. Nothing showed up when the title search was completed during our purchase process. I plan to contact the lawyer who drafted the original agreement in the morning but was hoping to get some feedback before then.

 

[lwpat]

If it was filed it should have come up during the title search and the title company is responsible. If you got a general warranty deed, you also have a cause of action against the seller.