FLTA TALLAHASSEE
Serving Over 4500 Title Professionals Throughout =
Florida
249 East Virginia Street, =
Tallahassee, FL=20
32301
PHONE (850) 681-6422
FAX (850) 681-6271
WATS (800) =
552-1065
James W. Smith, =
President
Lee Huszagh,=20
Executive Secretary/Treasurer; e-mail:
February 2001 PRESIDENT'S=20
REPORT The Winter Meeting was held in =
Tallahassee on=20
February 13th through the 15th. The meeting was well attended, but there =
was=20
plenty of space available.=20
We began with the Governmental Affairs Committee, which was attended =
by Wally=20
Senter of the Department. As of the meeting date, no Bills of =
significance to=20
our industry have been filed and none were anticipated.=20
Wally's "State of the Department" address revealed his intent to =
approve the=20
Owners Form 9.1 (unimproved) and 9.2 (improved) Endorsements without =
rulemaking.=20
The same 10% premium charge for the Form 9.0 is anticipated for the 9.1 =
and 9.2.=20
Hopefully, the Department will recognize the increased risk under the =
Form 9.1=20
and 9.2 at some point in the future and adopt an appropriate increased =
rate.=20
Wally said the new administration has spent most of its time and energy =
on the=20
non-title insurance lines.=20
The proposed membership bi-laws amendment, allowing attorney agents =
full=20
membership privileges, was passed with one small change. The approved =
change was=20
to Section 7 (a) Nominating Committee which requires "at least 3 agents =
who are=20
neither attorneys nor employees... in agencies in which attorneys are=20
owners...". This change is intended for our independent corporate agent =
members=20
to retain representation on the Board in light of the membership change. =
The Insurers' and Agents' Section meetings both focused primarily on =
a=20
preferred rate structure with the rates sunseting next year. Both =
sections agree=20
we should begin now to let the Department know our preferences.=20
The Board of Directors approved a special "introductory" membership =
of=20
$150.00 for first time new members. This special membership is intended =
for new=20
members to tryout the Association and become permanent members after the =
first=20
year. This special membership would not have voting rights.=20
With the intent of enhanced communication with membership, The Board =
directed=20
Lee to research and investigate other research services, such as West =
Law, to=20
obtain a more expanded coverage of pending legislation or important =
cases. The=20
Association office will update their email list and broadcast important =
items to=20
the membership electronically.=20
New =
Association=20
Members Approved Attorney Title =
&=20
Closing Company, LLC Campco Title Company Destin Business Forms, Inc. CLC/CLS=20
Applications Included in this newsletter is the 2001 CLC/CLS Information and =
Application=20
Packet. Read over the information carefully and then share it with your =
fellow=20
employees. The test will be held on July 14th and now is not too early =
to begin=20
studying! You will find an order form included in this newsletter if you =
are in=20
need of a Basic Title Insurance Handbook for studying purposes. =
Simply=20
fill out and mail it to the Association office with payment.=20
THIS IS YOUR=20
NEWSLETTER If you have any news or information that you would like to share with =
your=20
fellow FLTA members, please call or send it to our office. We will =
gladly print=20
it in the Association newsletter.=20
By-Law =
Amendment=20
Passes The recently circulated by-amendment was passed by a vote of our =
memberhip=20
with one slight modification. The original amendment, allowing attorney =
title=20
agents to join as regular members, contained a provision to direct the=20
nominating committee to have at least two members of the board of =
directors to=20
be independent corporate title agency folks, to the extent practicable. =
This=20
number was changed to three members of the board shall, to the extent=20
practicable, be independent corporate title agency persons. It is hoped =
that=20
this removal of the limitation on who may be members of our association =
will=20
spur a larger total agency membership. This will only occur if our =
existing=20
membership makes an effort to recruit new members in all areas of title=20
insurance practice.=20
New Trial =
Membership=20
Offered At the Winter Board of Directors meeting a new "trial basis" =
membership has=20
been authorized. This membership will allow first time members to try =
out=20
membership in our association for a period of one year for the reduced =
rate of=20
$150.00. During this trial period the firm will receive mailings and =
information=20
and may attend seminars and the convention just as if they were a =
regular=20
member. They will not have voting rights during the trial membership. =
This will=20
allow someone who is new to the industry or has never taken an interest =
in the=20
FLTA to sample our association for a limited time.=20
Incentives to =
Membership The FLTA will continue to offer one voucher for convention attendance =
and two=20
seminar vouchers for all new members to our association (excluding the =
trial=20
membership described above). It is hoped that new members will attend =
our=20
meetings and avail themselves of the opportunities for professional =
growth=20
afforded by FLTA membership.=20
2001 =
Convention to be=20
held at the Hutchinson Island Marriott Beach Resort & =
Marina The 2001 Convention will be held November 8th and 9th at the =
beautiful=20
Hutchinson Island Marriott Beach Resort & Marina, formerly known as =
Indian=20
River Plantation. In listening to our members concerns about time out of =
the=20
office the meeting time has been shortened to two days. The rates are=20
reasonable, the location is first class and the time out of the office =
has been=20
minimized. There is an executive, par 61, golf course on premise that =
will be=20
used for our annual tournament and a fishing tournament will be offered =
as an=20
alternative. If you haven't attended and FLTA convention lately, or at =
all, do=20
yourself a favor and give it a try. You will meet people and learn =
things that=20
you will not learn cooped up in your office.=20
Future =
Convention=20
Venues As described above, we will be visiting the beautiful "Treasure =
Coast" this=20
year. In 2002 we will travel to the new and luxurious Radisson on Coral =
Springs=20
Resort on the Heron Bay Golf Course, home of the Honda Classic =
tournament. In=20
2003 we will head north to the River City of Jacksonville for our annual =
fete.=20
We try to keep things interesting by visiting all areas of our great =
state. We=20
are mindful of the time and money constraints on our members and book =
properties=20
that are economical yet comfortable. It was suggested at our recent =
winter=20
meeting that we consider something slightly more exotic for 2004, Key =
West. In=20
making preliminary inquiries the price of rooms is higher than our usual =
$110.00=20
or thereabout range by about 60. To 70. dollars a night. Would this be =
an=20
acceptable departure from our norm for an occasional meeting? Let me =
have your=20
thoughts on this. We don't want to be accused of "old fogeyism", and by =
the same=20
token we don't want to throw a party that goes unattended. Other =
suggestions as=20
to future locations, programs, or special events are solicited.=20
2001 Seminar =
Schedule=20
* May 10th- Orlando, FL * May 17th- Pensacola, FL *May 18th- Panama City, FL June 4th- Melbourne, FL June 11th- Coral Gables, FL *July 14th- CLC/CLS Exam=20
* Registration Forms included in this newsletter=20
Lenders' =
Liaison=20
Committee Report The Lenders' Liaison Committee is again joining forces with the =
Allied=20
Industry/Public Relations Committee in securing topics and authors for =
"Florida=20
Land Title News" magazine.=20
The committee is also assisting the Mortgage Bankers Association of =
Florida=20
and the Florida Quality Council, Inc. In efforts to provide Quality =
Assurance=20
training to field office personnel for the Department of Banking & =
Finance=20
and general mortgage industry personnel. Three such training sessions =
are being=20
held in the first half of 2001 with one already held on February 8th in =
Fort=20
Lauderdale with 79 attendees. The next session will be held in =
Jacksonville on=20
March 21st and a third is tentatively slated for Tampa on June 7th.=20
These sessions are half-day and are offered free of charge but =
advance=20
reservations are mandatory. Topics include an overview of mortgage =
fraud,=20
followed by segments on "red flags" in the application/processing, =
appraisal,=20
and title/closing processes.=20
Also, Nancy Barnette (The Fund) and Barbara Burke (Southern Title =
Holding=20
Company) have been asked by the Department of Banking & Finance to =
conduct=20
training for field examioner personnel on review of title insurance =
documents=20
and HUD-1 closing statements. This training will take place in Orlando =
on May=20
9th as part of a multi-day training event being organized by the Office =
of the=20
Comptroller.=20
Anyone wishing to participate on the Lenders' Liaison Committee =
should=20
contact Nancy Barnette at (800) 336-3863, Ext. 7275 or by email to=20
nbarnette@thefund.com=20
by
James W. Smith
Clearmont, FL=20
Miami, FL=20
Destin, FL=20
Radisson Airport Hotel=20
Clarion Suites=20
Holiday Inn Select=20
Holiday Inn=20
Holiday Inn=20
by
Nancy Barnette
Florida Land Title =
Association
FLTA Members $50.00
Tax 3.50
Shipping 4.00
TOTAL $57.50
Non-members $75.00
Tax 5.25
Shipping 4.00
TOTAL $84.25
Total = Enclosed____________________________
Name___________________________________
Company________________________________
Address_________________________________
City/State/Zip_____________________________
Florida Land Title Association
Membership=20
Directory
ORDER FORM
Inserts Only=20
FLTA Members $15.00
Tax 1.05
Shipping 2.31
TOTAL=20
$18.36
Non-members $25.00
Tax 1.75
Shipping 2.31
TOTAL=20
$29.06
__________Copies @___________each
Binders Only =
________=20
Copies @ $3.00 each
Inserts & =
Binders
FLTA=20
Members $18.00
Tax 1.26
Shipping 4.00
TOTAL =
$23.26
Non-members=20
$28.00
Tax 1.96
Shipping 4.00
TOTAL $33.96
Total=20
Enclosed____________________________
Name_________________________=
__________
Company________________________________
Address_=
________________________________
City/State/Zip___________________=
__________