Coming Your Way: Webinar, Reports, Relaxed Rule and RON Answers

Get the latest news from Fund General Counsel Melissa Jay Murphy

Dear Members,

Are things settling into something close to normal for any of you?  I have adjusted to the new routine but the sense that this is all temporary is always there ………..so I feel disorganized and distracted sometimes. I haven't processed the possibility that this is the new normal for the rest of the year.  But I feel good and hope you do, too!  If you don't, reach out to your friends and family and connect with them.  You need to stay healthy because better times are coming.

Title Now PopUp Webinar:  This week's PopUp Webinar will feature a panel of Fund Members and we will talk about how they have adapted their offices and closing procedures to the pandemic.  There are some really good ideas out there and hearing from Members "in the field" about things that work, things that didn't work, how they manage their employees working remotely and how they deal with clients and customers should prove to be pretty interesting!  Tune in.  It's free.  Thursday, May 7 at noon.  30 minutes. 
Here's a link to register. https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6643645485825926416

Data Call Information.  The Finance Data Call Reports we make available to our Members with title agencies are now available for you to access on the Fund website.  These reports have been updated to align with the revised worksheet for the Data Call.  They contain data on branch products, ATIDS and DT expenses, if any, and a few other data points for your use.  Members with title agencies will get a separate alert with more detail and instructions on how to download the reports.  If you have questions, it is best to reach out to Leslie Anderson, landerson@thefund.com, here at The Fund.

CFPB Relaxes TRID Rule in Wake of COVID-19.  CFPB has taken steps to make it easier for consumers with urgent financial needs to obtain access to mortgage credit more quickly in the middle of the pandemic.  As part of this effort, the bureau issued a rule clarifying that consumers can exercise their rights to modify or waive certain waiting periods under TRID and Reg Z rescission rules.  The CFPB said if a consumer determines his or her need to obtain funds due to the COVID-19 pandemic (1) necessitates consummating the credit transaction before the end of the TRID Rule waiting periods or (2) must be met before the end of the Regulation Z Rescission Rules waiting period, then the consumer has a "bona fide personal financial emergency" that would permit the consumer to utilize the modification and waiver provisions, subject to the applicable procedures set forth in the TRID Rule and Regulation Z Rescission Rules.  For more info, here's a link to ALTA's short article about this rule.  https://www.alta.org/news/news.cfm?20200430-CFPB-Relaxes-TRID-Rule-in-Wake-of-COVID-19

RON update.  We often get asked "What RON platforms are approved by The Fund?"  So I want to address this issue with you and it has gotten a little more complicated in the last week or so…..hang in there with me while I try to explain.

  • "Traditional" RON closing:  these are closings over RON where all documents are signed electronically.  The types of the documents that were originally contemplated here are deeds, affidavits, closing statements and the like.  For these types of closings, no approval of the platform is required by The Fund or Old Republic.
     
  • "Wet-signed documents:"  We recently approved a process where the RON platform is utilized for the online notary to take the acknowledgment of a signer of paper documents ("wet-signed documents") over the platform (after having gone through the identity proofing and credential analysis process).  FOR THESE TYPES OF SIGNINGS, YOU MUST USE AN APPROVED PLATFORM:  DocVerify; Pavaso/Essential Notary; NotaryCam; Notarize; Nexsys; SimplySecure.
     
  • There are platforms out there that are not on the list of approved platforms for the "wet-signed documents" situation.  So you need to recognize this and choose your platform accordingly.

As always, we are available for questions and discussion.  Reach out to me, mmurphy@thefund.com, or Michael Rothman, mrothman@thefund.com.

That's all for this week.  Stay safe.  Let me know how we can help you. 

 

Melissa Jay Murphy
Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer,
General Counsel and Secretary

05/04/2020 07:50 AM