On January 18, 2023, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released an updated version of its Mortgage Servicing Examination Manual. As the CFPB described in a corresponding blog post, the manual outlines “the types...more
Nancy Jackson Spinks, better known as Nancy Carroll, an attorney and former owner of Millennium Closing Services, LLC (“Millennium Title”) in the Dallas area, was sentenced on Wednesday, January 3rd, to 10 years in prison and...more
A settlement that required the defendant to pay a sum into an escrow account which would be paid out to the claimant in certain agreed circumstances did not itself ascertain a loss for the purposes of the defendant’s...more
In WR Berkley Insurance (Europe) Limited v Teal Assurance Company Limited [2017] EWCA Civ 25, the Court of Appeal upheld the first instance decision of Mr Justice Eder, and confirmed that the payment of monies into an escrow...more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE - Foreclosure: where a valid mortgage properly encumbers the subject property, an incorrect deed and a reformation of deed count are not fatal to a foreclosure action - Heartwood 2, LLC v. Dori, Case...more
The word “defalcation” remains one of the more frightening terms in the title insurers’ lexicon. But with the proper training, preparation, and response, defalcations can be managed, and the title insurers’ exposure...more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE: Jurisdiction/Deficiency Judgment: Second DCA agrees with Third DCA that “a circuit court has subject matter jurisdiction to adjudicate an independent deficiency action when the plaintiff had...more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE - Foreclosure/Discovery: Good cause not found to enter protective order preventing owner of property, subject to foreclosure, from deposing bank’s only witness on basis that owner of property was not...more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE - Foreclosure/Documentary Stamp Tax: deferred interest on a “pick-a-payment” mortgage did not amount to future advance, which would have required payment of documentary stamp tax - Steinberg v. Wells...more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE - Foreclosure/Standing: party whose motion to intervene in foreclosure action was denied did not have standing to appeal final judgment of foreclosure – Market Tampa Investments, LLC. V Stobaugh,...more
Foreclosure: non-borrower owner of real property as tenants-in-common with borrower not required to sign mortgage for borrower to encumber only his interest in the property and non-borrower’s signature on mortgage reflected...more
REAL PROPERTY UPDATE: Tax Deed Sale/Due Process: after certified letter notifying property owner of tax deed sale returned unopened and unclaimed, due process required clerk of court take reasonable steps to notify...more
Title Guaranty Fund Guidelines Adopted: The Title Insurance Task Force met at the NAIC Spring National Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona and adopted the “Title Insurance Guaranty Association-Title Insurance Consumer Protection Fund...more
On September 16, 2014, Assembly Bill No. 2734 (“AB 2734”) was signed into law. AB 2734 authorizes trusteed surplus to be reduced to not less than 30% of the assuming insurer’s liabilities attributable to reinsurance ceded by...more