06.04.08
Title Insurers Insure Closings
In the midst writing the 2nd edition of Title Insurance for Real Estate Professionals, I recognize how things have changed in the last couple of years for the title insurance industry. At the moment, I am working on closings.
Title Underwriters have been forced by demands from the market to begin insuring the closing process, a dangerous and expensive endeavor in today’s market. This was never part of title insurance. It is not something that was accrued for in planning and reserving money for claims. And where does closing liability end? Will closers and title companies be sued because someone claims they didn’t understand their loan documents – or worse yet, say the lender was in cahoots with the title company and closed the loan for the title premium and fees? Similar to the recent lawsuit by a buyer that they paid too much for their house because they were advised to do so by their real estate agent.
And the liability becomes worse - over the past years, closings have become more and more complicated. New types of loans—variable-rate, adjustable-rate, balloon mortgages, growing equity mortgages, interest-only loans, construction financing, reverse-annuity mortgages, and others—have moved into the market. These complex documents must be explained to the borrowers, a very difficult task, particularly evident is the lack of understanding of these documents in the real world, where foreclosures have run rampant the last years and the reality of the documents hits home.
Complications of closing also include dealing with heavy legislation pertaining to Federal Laws such as the Patriot Act, Truth in Lending (TIL) laws, the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) and the Gramm-Leach Bliley Act (GLBA) dealing with privacy rules and closing. New local and federal legislation related to the sub-prime market and poor quality loans are making, and will continue to make, closings even more difficult by requiring additional documentation.
Independent “signing agents,” which are a fairly new phenomenon in the U.S., are unknowns in closing. Signing agents typically have no relationship with a title underwriter. They go to a home, bringing the documents with them for closing (frequently used in re-finance transactions.) Some signing agents see themselves strictly as notaries public, who witness signatures with no responsibility other than verifying the identity of the signers. Other signing agents are very knowledgeable about the documents and may thoroughly explain them – but do they have errors and omissions coverage? What if an error is made, who is responsible?
Is it appropriate for title companies to give a Closing Protection Letter, in effect insuring the closing? The State of New York says NO. It has specifically prohibited the practice in NY, citing the fact that the practice is a form of insurance, and potential claims are not being accrued for. What do you think?