A "cloud" is anything on the public record that clouds your ownership — a lien, a claim, a broken chain of title. It can block a sale or refinance and stay hidden until the worst moment. Mark what might apply and see it laid out plainly.
Check anything you've seen, been told about, or suspect
Title status memo
Bring these to a real estate attorney or title company
The single most useful next step is a title search. A title company or attorney pulls the recorded history of your property and shows exactly what's on it, in what order (priority), and what has to be cleared. It usually costs far less than the problem it prevents.
This is general information, not legal advice, and creates no attorney-client relationship. Chain-of-title and lien-priority questions turn on specific documents and dates — have a Florida real estate attorney review the actual records.
Educational tool · The Ticktin Suite. Broken paperwork on a property is often fixable — if you catch it in time.