November 2000 TALLAHASSEE REPORT

From: "Saved by Windows Internet Explorer 8" Subject: November 2000 TALLAHASSEE REPORT Date: Wed, 18 May 2011 10:16:05 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/related; type="text/html"; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0005_01CC1544.98D46EC0" X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.1.7600.16776 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0005_01CC1544.98D46EC0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://www.flta.org/publications/may2001.html November 2000 TALLAHASSEE REPORT

FLTA TALLAHASSEE REPORT
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
http://www.flta.org/

James W. Smith, = President
Lee Huszagh,=20 Executive Secretary/Treasurer; e-mail: leeh@flta.org

May 2001

PRESIDENT'S=20 REPORT
by
James W. Smith

We are at a very important point in the life of our Association. It = is time=20 for each of us to learn and live a new word...Recruitment. Our efforts = to grow=20 our membership through new members is coming at a slower rate than = imagined.=20 Additionally, we had some old members choose not to renew their = membership. The=20 result is an anticipated short fall in our budget.

We need each of you to recruit a new member. All of us come in = contact with=20 membership candidates at least weekly. Please support your Association = by=20 recruiting new members.

The Department sent the following notice to all Insurers = recently:

"The practice of issuing survey coverage where there is no survey nor = a prior=20 policy, but there is an institutional first mortgage on the property = with the=20 current owner as the mortgagor, us considered by the Department to be = issuing=20 title insurance on a casualty basis in violation of s. 627.784, Florida=20 Statutes. Affidavits from the current mortgagor that there are no = changes since=20 the prior mortgage is insufficient to satisfy this requirement.

In accordance with prior directives regarding surveys, in order to = remove the=20 survey exception, there must be a prior survey. To rely on the fact that = an=20 institutional lender obtained a survey in order to place a mortgage is = not=20 sufficient, in our opinion, to cause an insurer to offer such = coverage.

We expect this practice to cease immediately. Please notify all = offices and=20 appointed agencies of this position."

It will be interesting to watch the market respond to Wally's = letter.

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First = American Title=20 Names Alan K. McCall State Counsel for Florida

First American Title Insurance Company announced the appointment of = Alan K.=20 McCall as state council for Florida. McCall's responsibilities include=20 responding to questions from Florida offices and agents, drafting and = updating=20 underwriting bulletins, handling claims and producing educational = programs and=20 seminars for Florida agents. He will work with location and agency = managers and=20 report to John LaJoie, vice president and regional counsel for First = American=20 Title Insurance Company. McCall will work out of the Winter Park office = of First=20 American.

Prior to joining First American, McCall gained over 25 years of = experience in=20 the title industry serving as vice president and associate regional = counsel and=20 vice president and Florida division counsel for other major title=20 underwriters.

McCall has been chairman of the FLTA Forms Committee since 1999, and = he is=20 currently a member of the Florida Bar Real Property Problems Study = Committee and=20 a member of the Executive Council of the Real Property Section of the = Florida=20 Bar. He is the father of three children and lives in Lake Mary, Fla with = his=20 wife.

Alan McCall has been a tireless lecturer for FLTA education seminars = as well=20 as his committee work. The Florida Land Title Association would like to=20 congratulate him on his new position.

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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.

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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.

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Documentary = Stamp=20 Tax

The Florida Department of Revenue has designed a brochure to help = citizens=20 understand the requirements of Florida's Documentary Stamp Tax Law. This = brochure is available to you at no cost. If you = are=20 interested in ordering these brochures, call the Florida Department of = Revenue's=20 Distribution Center @ 850-488-8422; Fax # 850-922-2208 or by mail = @
Florida=20 Department of Revenue
Distribution Center
168-A Blountstown=20 Hwy
Tallahassee, FL 32304

When ordering, request form # GT-800014, Documentary Stamp Tax = Brochure.

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.

CLC/CLS Exam to be given
on July 14th

If you are in need of exam information or the Basic Title Insurance = Handbook=20 please call the Association office. No applications will be accepted = after May=20 1, 2001.

Membership=20 Dues

Membership Dues are now payable and were delinquent after April 1st. = If you=20 need a 2001 Dues Schedule, please call the Association Office.

New Associate = Member of=20 FLTA

Destin Business Forms, Inc.

Destin Business Forms is a full service business forms provider with = 20 years=20 experience. Items that we provided include continuous forms and checks, = laser=20 forms and checks, envelopes of all sizes, snap-a-part forms, labels, = business=20 cards, presentation folders are designed exclusively for title = companies. Sample=20 packets were mailed to all FLTA Members on March 1, 2001. Please call or = fax Ed=20 Wolverton for quotes or information.

Phone 850-654-9154
Fax 850-654-7391
P.O. Box 86
Destin, FL = 32541

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Florida Land Title Association

Basic Title Insurance Handbook

ORDER FORM

A desk reference covering all aspects

of Title Insurance

Includes revisions of Rule 4-186 and=20 4-228

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

__________Copies @___________each

Total = Enclosed____________________________

Name___________________________________

Company________________________________

Address_________________________________

City/State/Zip_____________________________

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2001 Seminar = Schedule=20

What: Video Version of the 2001 Winter Workshop

When: June 19th, 2001

Where: FLTA Office Board Room

Time: Registration begins @ 8:45 am

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New = Member's

Rothman & Tobin, P.A.
Miami

Dean, = Mead, Minton=20 & Klein
Ft. Pierce

Destin Business Form,=20 Inc.
Destin

Gibraltar Title Insurance Agency,=20 Inc.
Gainesville

Fowler White Burnett
Hurley Banick &=20 Strickroot, P.A.
Miami

Title 2000, LTD
Port St.=20 Lucie

Greenberg Traurig, P.A.
West Palm Beach

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Sam D. Mansfield Scholarship

The 2001 FLTA Mansfield Scholarship Application is enclosed with this = newsletter. Please read the guidelines carefully to determine whether = you or a=20 family member qualify to apply for this yearly $1000 scholarship.

This is a great way to help with the high cost of college. Please = post the=20 scholarship application in a place where all employees in your office = have an=20 opportunity to see it and apply.

Joint Statement

Attorneys' Title Insurance Fund, Inc. (The Fund) and First American = Title=20 Insurance Company (First American) would like to jointly point out the=20 inaccuracy of the headline in the March 26th Title Report story on the = Butler=20 Ruling. The Title Report incorrectly portrayed The Fund's position on = First=20 American's interpretation of the Butler ruling. Although The Fund and = First=20 American disagree on the impact of the ruling on the Real Estate = Settlement=20 Procedures Act (RESPA), all discussions on this topic have been = dignified,=20 professional and honorable. In fact, The Fund gave First American an = advance=20 preview of The Fund's letter to the Department of Housing and Urban = Development=20 (HUD), which simply asked for the department's interpretation of the = ruling. No=20 mention of First American was made in The Fund's letter to HUD. First = American=20 reviewed the letter and approved of the formal request for HUD's = position on the=20 issue. Any contrary impression created by The Title Report headline is=20 unwarranted by the facts.

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FLTA President Grayce Ausburn dies a = 71

Longtime business and civic leader Grayce Pomeroy Ausburn, 71, a = Stuart=20 native, died in her Jensen Beach home Tuesday after a long battle with=20 cancer.

A service will be at 7 p.m. Friday in the All County Funeral Home = &=20 Crematory, Treasure Coast Chapel, 1010 N.W. Federal Highway.

Ausburn was the granddaughter of Stuart pioneer and pineapple = plantation=20 grower James Robb Pomeroy, who served as Palm Beach County School Board = Member=20 and was an incorporator of Stuart and Martin County. When Martin County = was=20 created in 1925, Pomeroy was named clerk of court, a position he held = until his=20 death in 1949. Ausburn's father was James R. Pomeroy Jr.

"Our whole life was =CEbest' memories," recalled her sister, Carolyn = Ziemba,=20 director of the Stuart Heritage Museum. "We worked together in the title = business; she was the president and I was just a worker, but we were = always=20 sisters and best friends."

Ausburn was the first and only female president of the Martin County = Fair=20 Association, said Jim Overton, Fair Executive Director. "She was = dedicated to=20 the fair," said Overton. "She was very congenial and easy to get along = with,=20 both in fair business and in her title company."

Nancy Sailer, of the Martin County Chamber of Commerce, said Ausburn = was the=20 second woman elected chamber president, but the first woman to complete = a term=20 as president.

"Gayle Carr was the first woman elected president, for the 1970-80 = year, but=20 she did not finish her term," Sailer said. "Grayce did."

Ausborn founded Peninsular Title Company which was on East Ocean = Boulevard=20 across from the Martin County Courthouse. She became the first woman = member and=20 president of the board of the Florida Land Title Association.

She was also charter president of the Sailfish Chapter of the = American=20 Business Woman's Association, president of the United Way of Martin = County and=20 the Martin County Democratic Club, and a member of the 19th Judicial = Circuit=20 Nominating Committee- during the tenure of Gov. Bob Graham.

In 1984, Ausburn was elected woman of the year by the American = Business=20 Woman's Association.

Ausburn was born Feb. 4, 1930, attended Martin County schools and = graduated=20 from Stuart High School, now Martin County High School, in 1948. She = attended=20 the Terry Art Institute in Miami and many industry-related schools and = seminars=20 before returning to Stuart to raise her family.

According to her wishes, Ausburn's ashes will be scattered on the = South Fork=20 of the St. Lucie River, near the homestead of her grandfather on St. = Lucie=20 Crescent.

Those who wish may contribute in Ausburn's name to Hospice of Martin = &=20 St. Lucie, P.O. Box 1168, Stuart, FL, 34995-1168.

********************************************************= ******=20

2001 Sam D. Mansfield Memorial=20 Scholarship
APPLICATION