Fund News and Alerts

Fund/Florida Underwriting Bulletin Modifying Online Notary Requirements

Remote Online Notarization has not proven helpful when loan documents must be signed.  Most lenders require wet-signed Notes and in many situations, do not allow any loan documents to be signed electronically.  This has forced many title agents and borrowers into some form of face to face interaction between borrower and a notary, a situation that is not ideal under the current COVID-19 pandemic.

04/17/2020

Alert: Fund Underwriting Guidelines Incident to COVID-19 Pandemic

During recent weeks, Fund Members have encountered a multitude of challenges related to local stay-at-home orders and Governor DeSantis’s Safer At Home Executive Order 20-91. Several local government recording offices have closed to foot traffic, and availability of providers for services ancillary to real estate closings has become limited.  In light of the foregoing, this Fund Alert summarizes underwriting guidelines applicable to Fund Members engaged in closing real estate transactions insured by Old Republic.  

04/08/2020

Alert: Underwriting Guidelines for RON

The new Florida law authorizing remote online notarization (RON) is now in effect but it will take some time before there are Florida RONs registered and taking acknowledgements and oaths under the new law.  As such, title insurance agents are going to be presented with marketing, legal and underwriting issues related to the use of RON notaries from other states.

01/07/2020

FinCEN ALERT! New GTO – Good News/Bad News

A new Geographic Targeting Order (GTO) has been issued effective November 17, 2018 and ending on May 15, 2019.

11/16/2018

FinCEN Alert! Fund Members Only

There is a critical message that requires the immediate attention of all Fund Members and their employees.

05/07/2018

Alert! Unrecorded Utility Easements

The Fund has become aware of unrecorded utility easements between 1940-1980, in favor of Sumter Electric Cooperative, INC. They were recently recorded in Lake, Marion and Sumter Counties.

04/19/2018

ALERT! Alleged Suspicious Activity

It has been brought to our attention that there may have been suspicious activity regarding attempted sales of real estate with the typical scenario as follows: 04/11/2018

ALERT: Scam Involving Sale of Vacant Lots – It’s Back!

Alerts about this scam were sent to Fund Members in 2009 and 2010. We have not heard much about it since then, until now.

03/06/2018

Alert: Spoofed Email Appears to Come from ALTA CEO

ALTA is alerting its members to delete a phishing email that appears to come from CEO Michelle Korsmo with the subject line "Case S.I 691/2017: Your Firm's Attention is Required" asking for prompt attention.

08/09/2017

UPDATE - Email Hacking Scam

Additional Warning About the Ongoing Email Hacking Scam

08/04/2016