[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] "von" in name

[Susan Greer]

My grandpa briefly mentioned to mom once that he was related to all the
wealthy businessmen in Lodz and they had the title von der Goltz or von
Goltz.  But for some reason his family sold their title.  So they became
just Goltz and supposedly the rest of the family kept the title.  She
doesn't remember anything else and has nothing to back this up.  I have no
time frame either.  Does this sound possible?  Were records kept of people
selling their names or possibly their nobility?  Will I be able to research
this and tie it in to my genealogy?

 

Susan Greer