RON: Title’s Fraud-Fighting Tool

Remote online notarization (RON) has emerged as a vital technological innovation, especially in the digital age where convenience and security are paramount. The traditional notarization process, which requires physical presence, has long been susceptible to various forms of fraud, including…

Fraud is on the uptick across all industries, and real estate settlement and title insurance is no exception. Real estate transactions can be especially susceptible to fraud because of how lucrative they can be. For example, during a typical closing,…

Almost every real property transaction will have some kind of affidavit for one or more of the parties involved to sign. Affidavits provide a formal means to verify important information about a property’s title, ownership and condition. Many lenders include…

Federal estate taxes are imposed and become a lien upon the estate of the decedent immediately upon their death, and remain so for a period of 10 years, unless exempt. Several states and the District of Columbia also impose an…

Loan foreclosures of real property were at a peak following the financial crisis of 2008. During the COVID-19 epidemic, between 2020 and 2021, a federal moratorium on federally backed loans forestalled foreclosures and resulting owner evictions. Various states also passed…

As part of an ongoing effort to protect national interests and curb financial crimes, the U.S. Congress in 2021 passed the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA). Taking effect on Jan. 1, 2024, the CTA requires certain U.S. companies to report specific…

Thanks in large part to a challenging real estate market, fraud is more rampant than ever in the title insurance and real estate industries. Title insurance professionals are often faced with the challenge of verifying the identity of the seller…

The title insurance industry often assumes a leadership role in or has a front-row seat to paradigm shifts and legal and regulatory changes impacting the U.S. housing market. One such area in which we are working to make an impact…

Title searches often reflect an old – or “ancient” – mortgage or deed of trust (lien) of record that the vested owner states has already been paid. The lien itself may also happen to be a complete surprise to the…

It is not your imagination — there is a significant rise in the number of fraud claims across the entire title insurance industry. It seems that every week brings a new scam that title agents need to avoid. Lack of…

As the pandemic is declared over, parties to real estate transactions have started to move back toward traditional, in-person document signings. Given the security advantages associated with remote online notarization (RON), there is a move afoot to combine those advantages…

Since about 2018, Non-Title Recorded Agreements for Personal Services – commonly known as NTRAPS – have been recorded in property records. What are they, and do they do homeowners more harm than good? NTRAPS offer small cash gifts to homeowners…