From: "Saved by Windows Internet Explorer 8" Subject: FLTA TALLAHASSEE REPORT Date: Wed, 18 May 2011 10:14:38 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://www.flta.org/publications/2001dec.html X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.1.7600.16776 FLTA TALLAHASSEE = REPORT

FLTA=20 TALLAHASSEE=20 REPORT 

           =20  Serving Over 4500 Title = Professionals=20 Throughout Florida  =

249 East = Virginia Street,=20 Tallahassee, FL  32301 =95 = (850)=20 681-6422

FAX (850) = 681-6271 =95 WATS=20 (800) 552-1065 =95 www.flta.org- Sam B. = Waddill,=20 President=95 Lee Huszagh, Executive Secretary/Treasurer; e-mail -leeh@=20 flta.org

December = 2001

           &nbs= p;            = ;            =            =20

 

President=92s Report

by

Sam B.Waddill

 

Well, the=20 pressure is on and I am not just referring to the bolstering refinance = market or=20 that I have to write this report at such a busy time.  I am referring the forthcoming = year and=20 the challenges or as I like to say the =93opportunities=94 that await = our=20 association.  Before I = start, I must=20 praise our Executive Director =93Lee=94 and our past President =94Jim = Smith=94 on such a=20 successful annual convention and year 2001, thanks for all their hard=20 work!

 

Our annual=20 convention for those of you that missed it, was not only very = productive, it was=20 a lot of fun.  Next year = we must=20 strive to increase our participation at all Florida Land Title = Association=20 events.  By increasing the = participation and by recruiting new faces we will spawn new ideas, = enthusiasm,=20 strength, and growth.  All = of which=20 are crucial to our long-term success.

 

In = keeping=20 with the participation thought, one of the brightest ideas that came = from the=20 convention is a newly planned event to help the association and the = agent=20 members.  This new event = will be=20 dubbed =93Basic Training=94 and will be held in the fall of 2002 in = Tampa.  We will have more on this as = 2002=20 progresses as =93Basic Training=94 has tremendous potential.  In 2002, the Association will = also look=20 into the elimination of the DR219 forms that are required to record = conveyances=20 and the possible elimination of the requirement of 2 witnesses on deeds = as=20 Florida is soon to be 1 of only 4 states with such a=20 requirement.

 

Also stemming=20 from the convention FLTA=92s Allied Public Relations committee will be = preparing=20 to present a proposal or ideas to the Board of Directors for a Florida = Land=20 Title Association advertising or media campaign to promote the = Association and=20 its members.

 

As you=20 can see, there are many opportunities that await.  However, there are two such=20 =93opportunities=94 which command our full attention.  One, our support of a bill to = limit=20 discounting/rebating on transactions over 1 million dollars and = establishing no=20 discounting/rebating on transactions below 1 million dollars and two, = our fight=20 against Mortgage Impairment Insurance both on a State and National = level.  =93Mortgage Impairment = Insurance=94 uggghh,=20 the words should be labeled curse words. =20 I must tell you this is a very serious issue that we all must pay = close=20 attention to, be knowledgeable about and do everything in our power to=20 prevent!  Mortgage = Impairment may be=20 our single biggest challenge for 2002, please stay=20 informed.

 

In = conclusion,=20 I will say this, participate, participate, participate its what gives = our=20 association the strength to meet the opportunities to=20 come.

 

 

2001 = FLTA=20 Convention =93Focus On Quality=94

 

Although = smaller than=20 usual our 2001 Convention was very successful for those in attendance. = We are=20 very fortunate that the crush of title closings kept some of our usual = attendees=20 hard at work in their home offices. Condensing the program did allow = some to=20 attend who may not have been able to be with us had the program been = longer. Our=20 plan is to stay with the current configuration for the next several=20 years.

 

ALTA President Well = Received

 

Mr. Frank P. Willey, Vice Chairman of Fidelity = National=20 Financial, Inc., and newly installed President of the ALTA was in = attendance for=20 the entire program and attended several committee meetings and spoke to = the=20 general session on the urgent need of our industry to increase it=92s = public=20 relations efforts. In paraphrasing Mr Willey, it was his position that = we have=20 done a poor job of informing our customers of the value of our products = and=20 services, and the ALTA is embarking on a program to remedy this failure. = We seem=20 to always be in the mode of reacting to some negative publicity rather = than=20 pro-actively seeking to improve the public=92s perception of the value = of our=20 work.

 

New FLTA Officers = Installed

 

The following new = officers were=20 nominated, elected and sworn in at our annual = meeting:

President, Sam B. = Waddill, First=20 Title Services of Tallahassee, Inc., Tallahassee, = Florida.

John LaJoie, First = Vice President=20 and Chairman of the Insurers=92 Section, First American Title Insurance = Company,=20 Tallahassee, Florida.

Zone I Vice President: = Frank W.=20 Sadro, Citizens Title Group, Pensacola, Florida.

Zone III Vice = President: Dana=20 Ward, Lawyers Title Insurance Corp., Orlando, = Florida.

Zone IV Vice = President: John D.=20 Haviland, South Ridge Title & Abstract Company, Sebring, Florida. = John was=20 appointed by the Board to serve the second year of Jim Carel=92s term of = office=20 due to Jim being re-located out of his Zone.

Zone V Vice President, = Barry=20 Scholnik, Stewart Title Guaranty Company, Boca Raton,=20 Florida.

Carol Karlecke, = CLS/CLC, will=20 serve a two year term as CLT Institute Council Chairperson, First = American Title=20 Insurance Company, Sunrise, Florida.

Jim Smith, will remain = on the=20 board as Immediate Past President, Commonwealth Land Title Insurance = Company,=20 Orlando, Florida.

Ken Jannen will serve = as Chairman=20 of the Past Presidents Council, First American Title Insurance Company, = Sunrise,=20 Florida.

 

Technical Advances Highlighted in = Speakers=20 Presentations

 

Our two featured speakers were, Jill Sarnoff Riola, = attorney,=20 specializing in international technology and intellectual property with = the=20 Orlando office of Baker and Hostetler, and Sue Baldwin, also an = attorney, who=20 serves as Director of County Records for Broward County. Jill=92s = remarks  emphasized the need to obtain = the=20 capabilities necessary to accomplish electronic commerce as the = marketplace=20 begins to demand that form of conducting business. Her strong message is = that it=20 is not a question of =93if=94 but more of =93when=94, and the failure to = embrace the new=20 technology may leave those who don=92t behind.  Sue Baldwin=92s office was the = first in=20 the nation to be involved in the first ever all electronic purchase and = sale=20 transaction. Sue spoke of the need to assist your local records officer = to=20 impress upon our elected officials and others in state government of the = vital=20 importance of uninterrupted public recording to the viability of our = massive=20 real estate commerce industry. It seemed in her view that there were not = sufficient county resources allocated to the recording function.

 

Scholarships Awarded

 

As is the custom of our Association we annual award a=20 scholarship award of $1,000.00 to a deserving applicant who is selected = by a=20 committee of past President=92s chaired by the Chairperson of the Past = President=92s=20 Council. This year Paula R. Guttmann chaired the committee and her work = was=20 doubled. In honor of recently deceased Past President Marjorie S. = Schwartz the=20 Board of Directors established a new scholarship named for Mrs. = Schwartz. This=20 is in addition to the existing Sam D. Mansfield Scholarship. The first = ever=20 Marjorie S. Schwartz Scholarship award was inaugurated by remarks made = by former=20 President Norwood Gay highlighting Marge=92s career and service to the = title=20 insurance industry. This year=92s winner of the Marge S. Schwartz = Scholarhip=20 was  Kristin Utecht, = daughter of=20 Rhonda and Jerry Utecht and freshman at the University of Florida. The = winner of=20 the Sam D. Mansfield Scholarship was Amy Terrill, daughter of Patricia = Terrill,=20 who is also a freshman at the University of Florida. Both of these very=20 accomplished young ladies are very deserving and have resumes that any = parent=20 would be extremely proud of.  =

 

Raymond O. Denham Award

 

The Raymond O. Denham Award was made to R. Norwood = Gay, III, for=20 extraordinary service to our Association. After former award winner, = Leonard=20 Spangler had the obligatory fun in describing some of Norwood=92s = boating mishaps=20 and other humorous events, Norwood was very surprised when his daughter = Shelly=20 Gay appeared to make the trophy presentation. Her attendance at the = festivities=20 had been a well kept secret. Norwood is well deserving of this honor as = his=20 dedication and participation in Association legislative and other = activities has=20 been and continues to be above and beyond the call of duty.

 

Some Fun was=20 Also In Order

 

In = addition to the=20 serious work of selecting leaders, learning about the future of our = industry,=20 and being advised of national trends, it is also our custom to spend = some time=20 enjoying the company of our peers. The annual welcoming reception is now = held in=20 conjunction with our vendors exhibits to create a relaxed atmosphere in = which to=20 see what is new and improved. We also attended a variety of insurer = parties and=20 appreciation dinners. Some bold seafarers joined Commodore John Berkley = in our=20 first ever FLTA Fishing Fling and the top fish award went to Brian = Stoner the=20 husband of Marie Girard Stoner, who caught a   16 pound Dolphin (the = fish not the=20 mammel) New President Sam Waddill fought a sailfish for an action packed = few=20 minutes before he jumped off. This was a fun event and we plan to = continue to=20 host a fishing outing whenever our convention venue allows it. The Golf=20 Tournament was in the usual scramble format and was won by the = dominating=20 foursome of   Jim = Smith,=20 Skipper Henderson, Dana Ward and Mike Amsterdam. Men=92s Long Drive = was   Jim Smith   Women=92s Long Drive was = Wendy=20 Huszagh. Closest to the Pin was    ?   .

 

Mystery = Award

 

Whoever won the=20 =93Closest to the pin=94 at the annual golf tournament please identify = yourself, we=20 would like to recognize you along with the other=20 winners.

 

 

 New Trial Membership=20 Offered

 

At the Winter = Board of=20 Directors meeting a new =93trial basis=94 membership has been = authorized.  This membership will allow = first time=20 members to try out membership in our association for a period of one = year for=20 the reduced rate of $150.00.  = During=20 this trial period the firm will receive mailings and information and may = attend=20 seminars and the convention just as if they were a regular member.  They will not have voting = rights during=20 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.

 

Incentives = to=20 Membership

 

The FLTA will = continue=20 to offer one voucher for convention attendance and two seminar vouchers = for all=20 new members to our association (excluding the trial membership described = above).  It is hoped that = new=20 members will attend our meetings and avail themselves of the = opportunities for=20 professional growth afforded by FLTA membership.

******************************

 

           &nbs= p;         =20 Florida Land Title Association

           &nbs= p;      =20 Basic Title Insurance Handbook

 

           &nbs= p;     =20 ORDER FORM

 

           =20 A desk reference covering all aspects

           &nbs= p;           =20 of Title Insurance

 

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

 

FLTA=20 Members      = $50.00

Tax           &nbs= p;      =20       =20 3.50

Shipping           =20     =    4.00

TOTAL           &nbs= p;=20    =20 $57.50

 

Non-members         = $75.00

Tax       =            &n= bsp;        =20 5.25

Shipping           =20     =    4.00

TOTAL           &nbs= p;=20    =20 $84.25

 

        =20 __________Copies @___________each

 

Total=20 Enclosed____________________________

 

Name___________________________________

 

Company________________________________

 

Address_________________________________

 

City/State/Zip_____________________________

           &nbs= p;            = ;  =20

 

           &nbs= p;            = ;  =20

 

 

 

 

 

 

           &nbs= p;            = ;      =20