Title Operation
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Take the toil and trouble out of your title operation. We have the simple solution to timely, accurate real property of services, along with our attentiveness to your requirements, have information. From automated title plant indexes and on-line real made us the leading supplier of real property information. estate property tax records to systems like Genesis that automate Depend on us for the resources and continued support you need to your office production functions, TRW offers a family of services and increase your productivity, efficiency, and profitability. products from which to choose. Whether your company is large or small, you can count on us for quick and convenient access to property information. Our wide range •·"lir'W Real Estate Information Services il:lTRW Inc. 1987 714.385.2100 Volume 66, Number 6 Front Cover: Tucson, "City For All FEATURES Seasons," is the site for ALTA 's 1988 Mid-Year Convention, March 11 - 13. 4 The 1987 Readership·survey Location is the Westin La Paloma Of Title News Hotel, the city's luxurious meeting facility. Shown, is a desert skyline at 6 Up Close and Personal: sunset at Kofa National Wildlife A Profile Of Four Of Reserve- one of Arizona's beautiful The 1987-88 ALTA nature spots. Photograph by Pat Board of Governors O'Hara. 8 Almost 60 Minutes . .. With Ed Bradley By Adina Conn 12 Convention Set For Desert Resort By Lynn Antilety 16 PLTA Speakers Bureau Ideal Public Relations Vehicle By Herbert R. Walton 18 Scenes Around Seattle Photographs By Ken Abbinante 28 On The Road .. With The First Lady By Wynona Cathey 30 What You Should Know About ALTA Group Insurance By Robert B. Scherer 32 Foreman Heard: ALTA's Urban Cowboy By Adina Conn DEPARTMENTS 3 A Message From The President 36 Names In The News 37 Across The Nation 39 New Arrivals 41 New ALTA Members 44 Calendar Of Meetings In the title industry, one of the most important investments you will Future Planning Genesis was designed to meet your needs for ever make is your title system. While most system suppliers offer years to come. Its modular design lets you start small and add dedicated title packages, significant differences in technology hardware and software capabilities at any time. And periodic govern how well those programs work and how much time they updates and system enhancements ensure Genesis' performance for actually save. years to come. Genesis' state-of-the-art technology lets you produce more work. Genesis is an investment in your future. The best system, at the reduce errors and improve customer service without increasing your right price. at the right time. Find out for yourself. Call 800 .525.8526 current staff. Increased productivity and the time you save translates outside of Colorado or 303.220.8288 in Colorado. into higher profits for you. Only Genesis offers you- Genesis Advanced Technology. Every title function has been honed to The future of the title industry maximum efficiency and accuracy. You can input your own forms in minutes. And, as an example of Genesis' speed, you can complete a search of 400,000 title-plant records in 3 to 5 seconds . Complete Office Management. With Genesis every member of your staff can share files without leaving their desks . And they can access any software program from title functions and closing/escrow to office management and general accounting . Genesis' efficiency lets your staff handle increased workloads through peaks in business. During the business upsurge in 1986, automated title companies experienced significantly less employee turnover than their non-automated counterparts. of TAW Real Estate Information Servi ces - Genesis. A product _ ATs.T MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT ne of the most enjoyable and perhaps most pro Title News is published by the American Land Title ductive duties of an officer of the ALTA, as he or Association, 1828 LSt. , N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036. 0 she goes through the chairs, is attending regional Telephone (202) 296-3671. · or state title association conventions throughout the coun try. While the stated purpose of the attendance by the offi JSSN 004!M/90 cer at these conventions is to provide an update on the ac Editor: Gary L. Garrity tivities of ALTA, it seems to me that a great deal is Managing Editor: Adina Conn accomplished in the area of personal contacts and sharing of information. ASSOCIATION OFACERS It certainly helps the ALTA officer to meet people active President in the regional and state associations and to determine the Marvin C. Bowling, Jr., Lawyers Title Insurance types of activities they are involved in which might be use- Corporation, Richmond, Virginia ful to ALTA. It also provides an opportunity for the President-Elect Charles 0. Hon, Ill, The Title Guaranty & Trust Co. of visiting officer to learn about the organization and programs sponsored by these Chattanooga, Chattanooga, Tennessee associations. I know that I have been constantly pleased with the high degree of ability Chairman, flnance Committee and effort displayed by association officers and their members in various locales, as Richard A. Cecchettini, Title Insurance Company ol revealed by the programs and committee reports delivered at their conventions. Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota After having attended more than 20 of these conventions and seeing how the Treuurer associations operate, it occurred to me that communication and mutual assistance David R. Porter, Transamerica Title Insurance Company, Los Angeles, California among the regional and state associations-and each of them with ALTA-could be Chairman, Abstracten and extremely beneficial. In preparation for this message, I decided to talk with some Title ln8UI'8Dce Agents people at ALTA, and with different associations, to find out what type of liaison was Section going on and perhaps think of some things that might be done to improve our mutual Bill Thurman, Gracy Title Co., Austin, Texas efforts. Chairman, Title Insurance In the field of education, I discovered that various associations assist the ALTA Underwriten Section Education Committee in planning for its regional seminars and that our committee Richard P. Toft, Chicago Title Insurance Company, Chicago, Illinois stands ready to provide any assistance that a regional or state association educational Section Representatives, committee might find helpful. I learned that associations in many states have the Board of Govemon responsibility for putting on continuing educational programs, some leading to Joseph D. Gottwald, California Counties Title Company, licensing of agents or certification as title examiners or closers. Certainly, the ALTA South Pasadena, California could furnish, on occassion, instructors possessing types of expertise which might not Thomas A. Griffin, Mid-South Title Insurance be readily available at the local level. Corporation, Memphis, Tennessee I was also advised that the associations assist the ALTA in its membership drive, Parker S. Kennedy, First American Title Insurance Company, Santa Ana, California furnishing their membership lists and playing our membership videotapes at their Herbert Wender, Commonwealth Land Title Insurance conventions. When so requested by an association, ALTA will make regional or state Company, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania association membership a requirement for joining ALTA. Immediate Past President The state associations have been very helpful to ALTA in connection with lobbying at John R. Cathey, The Bryan County Abstract Company, the grassroots level. They have lobbied members of Congress on their homegrounds, Durant, Oklahoma reported important state legislation, and passed helpful resolutions. ASSOCIATION STAFF The ALTA sponsors Association Officer/Executive Seminars for the trading of ideas, Executive Vice President publishes articles on association activities in its Title News, and its staff is always Michael B. Goodin available to advise and learn from association officers. Senior Vice President As you can see, there is a great deal of mutual assistance going on between the state William J. McAuliffe, Jr. associations and ALTA, and I hope we can develop ideas to increase these inter General COUDJei James R. Maher association contacts. Vice President-Public Affairs CaryL. Garrity Director of Research Richard W. McCarthy Director of Government Relations Robin E. Keeney Vice President-Administration Marvin C. Bowling, Jr. David R. McLaughlin Director of Education And Membenhlp Services Patricia L. Berman Director of Meetings And Confereoces Lynn D. Antilety the publication was conceived. Under the direction of ALTA leadership and magazine consultants, the publication over the past six months, has undergone a series of meta morphoses. The present publication was The 1987 redesigned with the goal of eliciting interest among its readership audience, and inform Readership Survey ing them of industry related events and cur rent developments. This issue marks the advent of the new Of Title News and improved Title News-the only pro fessional publication that represents the specific interests of the title industry. Title News has now been transformed into a cleaner, brighter, less cluttered and more topical professional publication. The research questions in this study fo cus upon magazine content and format, legislative involvement by members, there spondents' need for information, their knowledge concerning trends in the title industry, and their overall perceptions about the Association. Hence, major ques COMING ... An AII·New tions concerning this research are how ef fective has the magazine been in serving the needs of its readership audience and how effective has it been in informing readers of industry and Association developments? Methodology With respect to the organization sur veyed, a mail questionnaire was completed by certain members of the American Land Title Association. The questionnaire was sent to 3564 members. In the beginning of June, the questionnaire, a cover letter ask ing respondents' participation, and a self addressed stamped envelope, were mailed. A demographic profile among members was drawn. Data revealed important rela tionships occurring among members repre senting various segments of the industry.