Fund News and Alerts

Vacation is not a word often associated with title. Vacation is typically an eagerly awaited plan or the subject of daydreams. When insuring title, however, vacation takes on a whole different meaning. “Vacation” of a platted street or alley means that the public’s interest in a property is being eliminated or “vacated.” This article will discuss what interests are created in the streets and alleys by virtue of the platting process, and once a street or an alley (hereinafter referred to as “street”) is vacated, who owns that vacated land, in what proportion, and the steps for insuring. 

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Frequently, Fund Members receive a Commitment with a deed restriction that one party to the transaction finds objectionable. This article is meant to be a practical guide for addressing those title objections. Read the article

Most real property practitioners are familiar with tax deeds incident to the nonpayment of real property taxes. However, escheatment tax deeds are less common. This article addresses the guidelines for insuring when the tax deed process becomes an escheatment tax deed process. Read the article

By: Rene Rutan, Manager, Events & Affiliate, REC & Realtor® Relations

Teaching is one of the most effective ways to build relationships with real estate agents, and you can accomplish it in a number of ways.  You can create content and do it on your own, you can take advantage of the Florida ARECs Realtor® Education Library filled with ready-to-use programs developed by The Fund’s Legal Education Team, or you can become an Approved Florida REALTORS® Faculty Member. 

Florida Realtors® Convention
The Fund hosted an Expo Booth at the 2024 Florida Realtors Convention held August 21 and 22 at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando. Attended by over 4,000 real estate agents, the Convention provides a unique opportunity for The Fund to promote the use of real estate attorneys among a key audience.

On August 27th, the Jacksonville Area Real Estate Council hosted their quarterly membership meeting at Top Golf, beginning with presentation on the Florida Realtors®/Florida Bar Contract, which is replacing the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors (NEFAR) Contract, which has been used for decades.  Following the presentation, attendees gathered outside in reserved bays to take their best shots on the golf range.  Fore!

FLARECs.COM, which is located in the Resource section of thefund.com and is your Real Estate Council HQ!  There you will find a multitude of resources for your Real Estate Council and for yourself as a REC Member.

Industry Leadership at its Finest! Yesterday, Florida Land Title Association (FLTA) members installed Fund General Counsel Melissa Jay Murphy as their 2024-2025 President.

In today’s real estate market, one can never be too careful when it comes to mortgage payoffs. The mounting increase in payoff fraud and wire diversion continues to disrupt the real estate market as fraudsters find more creative and devious ways of defrauding unsuspecting parties who fall victim to their ploys. This article will revisit mortgage payoffs, address some common underwriting questions, and recommend some best practices and tips to incorporate into the daily practice of handling transactional closings. Read the article

DoubleTime 9.5 includes the following enhancements: 2024 Standard Commitment Clause and Affidavit, the Commitment (C21) template, and the Old Republic Privacy Notice.