Coronavirus (COVID-19)

The information on this page is provided as a courtesy and  is not intended to be legal advice.

Watch the second FLTA Townhall meeting below, presented on Thursday, June 4, 2020.
FLTA Townhall:  Cyber Security & Working Remotely

Industry Related Resources:

• On Wednesday, June 3, Governor DeSantis announced Executive Order 20-139 moving Florida to Phase 2 of reopening the state.
• On Friday, May 15, CFO Patronis issued CFO Directive 2020-10 delaying the enforcement of the Agency Data Call until September 1, 2020.
• American Land Title Association Information on COVID-19: www.alta.org/coronavirus
• Tracking Florida County-by-County Emergency Orders: COVID-19 County Response Dashboard (Florida Assoc. of Counties)
• Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Executive Orders
• Title Industry as an Essential Business
• • Letter from Secretary Mnuchin, U.S. Dept. of Treasury
  • Guidance from Homeland Security: Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency
  • • ADVISORY MEMORANDUM ON IDENTIFICATION OF ESSENTIAL CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE WORKERS DURING COVID-19 RESPONSE (Updated 3/28/2020)
• Fannie Mae
• COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions - Selling
  
• Freddie Mac
• COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions - Selling Related - Title Closings and Notarizations
• U.S. Small Business Administration
• • Disaster Assistance
  • CARE Act - Guide and Checklist
• Florida Division of Emergency Management - FloridaDisaster.org
• Example Employment Letter for Essential Businesses
• • First International Title
  • Knight Barry Title

Virtual Business Meeting Platforms (Not for RON):

G2.com provides review and feedback on various platforms (Link to Article)

• Zoom
• Skype
• Cisco WebEx Meetings
• GoToMeeting
• Microsoft Teams
• Cisco Jabber
• Google Hangouts
• Join.Me
• Team Viewer

Changing Actions at the Closing Table:

1. Only permit required attendees to the closing table (No children, Realtors, Brokers, etc.)
2. Use FaceTime or Skype to have realtor, broker, lender participate in closing virtually
3. Wipe and clean all surfaces after each closing
4. Consider drive-thru or curbside closings
5. Pens - Have the party bring their own pen or take the pen with them after signing
6. Plexi-Glass partition on conference table
7. Other

Remote Online Notary (RON)

If you are considering becoming an approved Remote Online Notary, here is some additional information to be aware of.

1. Florida’s RON Approval Process for Notaries
   1. Dept. of State Link: https://dos.myflorida.com/sunbiz/other-services/notaries/remote-online-notary-public/
      1. Be a current Commissioned Notary or Commission of Deeds
      2. Take and pass required 2-hour RON Course (FLTA Course)
      3. Provide proof of $25,000 E&O Insurance with Clause (see below)
         1. If using your business or title agency E&O insurance
            1. You must include the clause showing or explaining online notary error & omissions is included.
            2. The cover page on its own is not proof enough
         2. It is recommended for a RON applicant to purchase their own individual E&O Insurance Policy of $25,000
      4. Provide proof of $25,000 bond
         1. Only one bond for the full amount of $25,000 may be submitted
         2. If you have a $7,500 bond for standard notary commission, a $17,500 may not be included. It must be a full $25,000 bond
      5. Identify the platform planning to utilize
         1. List of some platforms (FLTA does not approve or endorse any RON platforms)

            1. DocVerify

            2. eNotaryLog

            3. NotaryCam

            4. Notarize

            5. Pavaso
               

            6. Safedocs

            7. SIGNiX
               

      6. Submit application to the state with check payment through bonding agency
         1. Application Tips
            1. For the statement, “I will use the following RON Service Provider in compliance with Florida Law:”
               1. Include the actual name(s) of the RON platform you are planning to use. 
                  1. “Yes” is not an acceptable answer
            2. Copy of Current Notary Certificate
               1. Per statute, a RON applicant must provide a copy of their original Notary Commission Certificate with their application
                  1. If an applicant does not have one, a copy may be provided by their current bond agency (expect 3-4 weeks for delivery)
                  2. A screenshot of an applicants notary commission information on State notary site is not enough
2. GSE-approved Vendor Lists:
   1. Fannie Mae: https://singlefamily.fanniemae.com/applications-technology/eclosings-emortgages
      1. Updated Guidance on RON and LOPA (links provided on page 1): https://singlefamily.fanniemae.com/media/22316/display
         
   2. Freddie Mac: https://sf.freddiemac.com/working-with-us/electronic-loan-documents/reviewed-vendor-list
      1. Updated Guidance on RON and LPOA (middle of the page): https://guide.freddiemac.com/app/guide/bulletin/2020-8?_gl=1*so7r79*_gcl_aw*R0NMLjE1ODUwNTY5OTUuRUFJYUlRb2JDaE1JNUtfRXRKMno2QUlWQXJiSUNoM1F5QW9URUFBWUFTQUFFZ0otQWZEX0J3RQ..*_gcl_dc*R0NMLjE1ODUwNTY5OTUuRUFJYUlRb2JDaE1JNUtfRXRKMno2QUlWQXJiSUNoM1F5QW9URUFBWUFTQUFFZ0otQWZEX0J3RQ..
         

      2. RON States Listed in Bulletin (on page 11): https://guide.freddiemac.com/ci/okcsFattach/get/1003772_7