August 2022

 





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President's Update
Dear Valued PLTA Member:

It’s hard to believe most of the summer is already behind us! We hope you’ll consider one final getaway before the weather breaks and join us for PLTA Convention 101 September 18th-20th at the beautiful Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Golf Resort, Spa and Marina. Please visit our convention page to register and for more information. Please note our $199 group rate expires Friday August 19th. After that date, room prices may increase or not be available at all so if you’re on the fence, act now!

In the meantime, we have been active advocating on behalf of all of you. On April 26th, I had the opportunity to testify on behalf of PLTA at a hearing in Harrisburg on HB2438. The Bill is intended to centralize Department of Revenue lien filings but strays far from its purpose. I expressed our concerns with the Bill as introduced and we feel the testimony was well received. Also, Phil Janny and I had the opportunity to testify yesterday on behalf of PLTA at a public hearing in Harrisburg on this session’s Predictable Recording Fees legislation (SB898). To watch the hearing video, visit the PA Senate Local Government Committee website.  There are still some session days left this fall so there is still hope this legislation may have the chance to progress.

On behalf of the PLTA officers and staff, I would like to wish you all a great remainder of your summer. We remain thankful for your membership, and should you have any questions, comments or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at todd.rowe@fnf.com or our Executive Director, Robin Kelsh at rkelsh@plta.org.

Yours truly,
Todd Rowe, Esq., CLTP
PLTA President

PLTA Convention 101!
Only 6 weeks to go until the 101st annual convention on September 18-20, 2022 at the Hyatt Regency in Cambridge, MD! Registration Today! Join us as we go back to basics with “101” courses for the 101st convention. learn and relax with us at the beautiful Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Golf Resort, Spa and Marina. The room block is filling fast – click here to reserve! Please make your reservation prior to Friday, August 19, 2022. After that date, room prices may increase and/or rooms may not be available. 

We have an exciting line-up of education for a total of 4 PA/NJ CE and/or 4 PA CLE includes 1.0 hour Enhanced Ethics credit is sure to be informative!  NEW this year for Delaware attorneys, the PLTA Convention now offers DE CLE!   Join us for the entire event or attend our two education sessions, 2 credits per day!    Register online or download the a la carte registration form if you would like to just attend the education sessions. Please contact us at 610-265-5980 or info@plta.org with any question.  Our presenters will include: 

PLTA PAC Event - Glow Golf!
Join the PLTA PAC for some fun at the PLTA Convention 101 after sunset with Glow Golf!  Take a swing at the interactive, inflatable targets using LED glow golf balls, hit the target to score points and be the Glow Champion!   Hop on over to the putting green lit with glow flags and a putt putt style layout to try your hand at longest putt.  "Light Up the Night" for PAC!  To register:  Make your $100.00 PAC donation online and select "PAC Glow Golf" on the drop down for "Donation Amount" or send the RSVP form with payment to info@plta.org.  Please note: all contribution must be made by personal check, personal credit card, or money order and made payable to PLTA PAC. Contributions to PLTA PAC are not tax deductible.

Communications Committee Update
Our favorite time of the year is fast approaching! The PLTA Annual Convention is always fun, educational and a great place to meet other agents, underwriters and industry partners. “It’s Elementary” so get registered! look for our videos on social media showing you what you could be missing. Our committee meets virtually every month and are always looking for fun and creative volunteers please contact Communications Chair, Dave Dwyer at ddwyer@esecuritytitle.com or Executive Director, Robin Kelsh at rkelsh@plta.org at the PLTA office.

New Member Benefit!
Looking to post jobs for your company?  PLTA Members now get a free 60 day post on the www.plta.org website!  The Career Center has been under construction and will be unveiled at the convention.  If you would like to be one of the first members to take advantage of this great benefit please fill our the job post form and submit your request to info@plta.org. 

Education Committee Update
Keep watch on the PLTA calendar for Fall courses coming later this year for 2022. For more information on these and other planned courses watch for PLTI emails and check the event calendar and PLTI Learning tab on PLTA’s website www.plta.org.  Sponsorships for Webinar/Seminars are available; please contact Shelley Marsh at smarsh@plta.org for details.  

Legislative & Judicial Committee Update
Our next meeting will be August 16th at 10:00 am. We will report on a Senate Local Government Committee Informational Hearing that took place on August 10th where Todd Rowe Esq., CLTP and Phil Janny, CLTP, NTP, testified on behalf of PLTA in Harrisburg on the Predictable Recording Fees legislation (HB1989 and SB898). Other stakeholders will also be present and providing testimony. There are still some session days left so there is still the possibility this legislation may yet progress. If any members have any other items of concern they wish to raise, please let me know and we can put it on the agenda for the next meeting. Should you have any questions, comments or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at kathleen.mcadams@fnf.com.

Title Issues & Records Committee Update
If you encounter any matters that you believe the Committee can address, please contact the Committee Chair, Manny Chryssos (manny.chryssos@fnf.com) with an explanation of the issue and any examples you may have so that the Committee can determine if this is something we can work to address.

Berks County Prothonotary Online Searches Restored
As some of our members may know, searches on the Berks County Prothonotary’s website were unavailable starting on Wednesday, August 3rd due to technical difficulties. However, earlier this week, the Prothonotary confirmed that their online search function is once again available and that those seeking to complete judgment searches in Berks County are no longer required to physically visit the Prothonotary’s office.

Philadelphia Improvement District Guide Updated
The Philadelphia Department of Commerce recently updated its Improvement District Guide.  The guide provides district maps and contact information for the City's BIDs so that title companies can reach the appropriate party when trying to figure out lien payoffs, assessment questions, and alike. Boundary information was gathered in July 2022 and is subject to change. Up-to-date legislation on Philadelphia's Improvement Districts can be found online at phila.legistar.com.

Strategic Planning Committee Update
The Strategic Planning Committee meeting was held on August 2, 2022. The goal matrix was reviewed and significant progress was reported. The next committee meeting will on November 16, 2022 at 11:00 AM via Go to Meeting. It was decided that the next Leadership Academy will be in April/May of 2023.

South Central Chapter Update

Congratulation to the new PLTA South Central Chapter Officers! PLTA's South Central Chapter Officer Installation was held on August 4, 2022 at the Moon Dancer Winery, Wrightsville, PA! PLTA President, Todd Rowe Esq., CLTP, and Treasuer, Tommi Herbert, CLTP were on hand to swear in the Chapter Officers. Congratulations to Chairperson Lisa Fischer, Vice Chairperson Stacey Trimmer, Treasurer Jen Dennison, and Secretary Rachael Workinger!

Cyber Tip of The Month Sponsored By:

Tip Seven – What are some tips for Title Agents who have suffered a cyber loss & no longer qualify for theft of funds coverage? Answer: If you’ve had a significant cyber claim, you may find yourself unable to secure coverage for the theft of funds. Fortunately, some E&O carriers and some Crime carriers can offer this protection. Consider switching to an E&O carrier who has that coverage and replace your standard Fidelity policy with a comprehensive Crime policy.

"Statistically Speaking" - Pending Home Sales Fell 8.6% in June Key Highlights: Pending home sales declined 8.6% from May as escalating mortgage rates and housing prices impacted potential buyers. Pending sales retreated in all four major regions, with the West experiencing the largest monthly decline. Compared to the previous year, contract signings dropped by double digits in each region as pending sales in the West were down by nearly a third. To read the complete report please click here. *Reprinted in part with permission from National Association of Realtors®

News You Can Use

Increased Foreclosure Activity in First Six Months of 2022 Approaches Pre-Covid Levels
PR Newswire | July 14, 2022
ATTOM, a leading curator of real estate data nationwide for land and property data, today released its Midyear 2022 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report, which shows there were a total of 164,581 U.S. properties with foreclosure filings — default notices, scheduled auctions or bank repossessions — in the first six months of 2022.

ALTA-supported SECURE Notarization Act Passes House in Package of Bills
TitleNews Online | July 28, 2022
The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday night by a vote of 336-90 passed a series of bills rolled into a package that included the ALTA-supported Securing and Enabling Commerce Using Remote and Electronic (SECURE) Notarization Act (H.R. 3962). The bipartisan SECURE Notarization Act was introduced in the House by Reps. Madeleine Dean (D-PA) and Kelly Armstrong (R-ND). It has 128 cosponsors in the House. Sens. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Mark Warner (D-VA) have introduced a companion bill in the Senate. The bill has 11 cosponsors in the Senate.

House-Passed H.R. 3962 Would Ease Online Notarizations
Think Advisor | July 28, 2022
The House has passed a bill that could help clients complete more financial services transactions online.

Expert: Local area seems insulated from falling home prices
Sun Gazette | August 1, 2022
The real-estate industry’s equivalent of the “f-word” – “falling,” as in “falling prices” – is beginning to be used across the nation even by some who earlier felt that the homes market would withstand economic pressures without seeing declines in sales prices.

Digging in the Dirt ~ For Historical Appreciation & Solutions
Every day we are hearing about new housing and business developments and their construction, new financing products and regulations, new movies and TV shows, new ways to prepare food, new medical treatments, and now new title insurance policy forms! So much “newness” can be exciting, overwhelming, and sometimes cause for thinking about “the good ole days”! As any historian can tell you, not everything in days gone by was so wonderful, but there are definitely parts of our past we should try to dust off and preserve.

Title professionals often dig up the best dirt on a property’s chain of title from the public records, some needing to be cleaned up and set right so future conveyances will not run into the same issues. I often think when we have a search with problems “Why wasn’t this fixed already”?! The article link below sets out the story of a house with historical and community ties that is just aching for the time, attention, permissions, skills, and funding to keep it from being destroyed. It’s good to know we have so many new things to look forward to, along with looking to find ways to maintain and enjoy our local historical treasures!

Historic Herbst House in Sewickley faces possible demolition
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | August 7, 2022
Three stories high, partially dressed in ivy, sits Herbst House on Broad Street — “the gateway” into Sewickley.

If you would like to share any interesting or unusual topics that have come up in your experience, please send them to us at info@PLTA.org.
Yours in the trenches,
Kimberly Reed

Sponsored Member News

Member News and Advertising are available; please contact Shelley Marsh at smarsh@plta.org for details.
 

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