OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE AMERICAN LAND TITLE ASSOCIATION 1876-1976 A Message from the President JANUARY, 1976 With the beginning of each new year, it is incumbent on all of us to evaluate not only our personal achieve­ ments in our private and business lives but also the achievements of our industry. We can be justly proud of the contributions that the members of the American Land Title Association have made to the real estate in­ dustry and we should reaffirm our dedication to improving our services for the betterment of the public and the industry. The American Land Title Association seeks to coordinate the efforts of the various state associations and the individual members in promoting public understanding of the value of our services to the public and in the improvement of those services. Many feel that the economic conditions during 1976 will be somewhat better than what we have experi­ enced in the past few years and we should use this opportunity to increase our activities as an association in those areas which will effectively inform the public and the members of various regulatory bodies of the necessity for and the value of our services. The officers and staff of our Association seek the advice of the membership and, therefore, request and urge that you now plan to attend the Mid-Winter Conference at the Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, on March 21-24, 1976, so that your ideas and wishes can be directly communicated to your officers. On behalf of the officers and staff of the Association, we wish to express our thanks for the helpfulness of the membership and we wish all a very prosperous New Year. Sincerely, Richard H. Howlett FIRST MAJOR "BREAN- THRfJfJfiH'' IN 25 YEARS IN REAl ESTATE TABlES! Your NEW Hard-Working fiiiT FOR REAlTORS! Created by Realtors for Realtors In addition to the conven­ tional loan amortization payment tables, the New, 240-page Realty Computer p rovides, in shirt-pocket size, thirty-eight tables and checklists badly needed by real estate people in their daily transactions. You owe yourself an appraisal of the REALTY COMPUTER-one of the finest professional fact­ finders you have ever seen. Your clientele will be asking for it. Write todt1y for your complimenttlry copy (to Lending Institutions only) PROFESSIONAL PUBLISHING CORPORATION 122 Paul Drive • San Rafael, California 94903 The ALTA Executive Committee will meet January 17 in Phoenix, Ariz. Major topics on the Committee's agenda include the program for the 1976 Mid-Winter Conference and the assignment of ALTA representatives for attendance at affiliated state association conventions. • ALTA Director of State Governmental Affairs Ralph J. Marquis advises that state legislatures around the country are readying themselves for the 1976 session. In 1975, 49 state legislatures met in regular session, passing numerous bills of interest to the land title industry. All pertinent legislation, as well as insurance department rulings and regulations, attorney general opinions, briefs of leading cases, and cases in digest form, is published monthly in the State Legislative Bulletin, which is sent to subscribing members of the service. • • An increasing number of orders are being received from ALTA members in response to the Centennial Kit sent in October. The Kit, developed by the Centennial Ideas Sub­ ALTA committee of the ALTA Public Relations Committee, suggests numerous ways by which one may publicize and celebrate the Centennial of Land Title Insurance. Among the Kit's sale items, which include postage meter slugs, a Centennial ad, and a Centennial historical folder, the postage meter advertising slug has been the most popular item to date. A feature commentary on the Centennial appears elsewhere in this issue of Title News. Members of the Centennial Ideas Subcommittee include Chairman EdwardS. Schmidt, H. Randolph Farmer, and James W. Robinson . • • • ALTA Judiciary Committee Chairman Ray E. Sweat reports that the Uniform Probate Code has been passed, in whole or in part, by state legislatures In Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, and North Dakota. The ALTA Executive Commit­ tee has requested that any cases relating to such state law be reported to the Associa­ tion membership immediately. Any ALTA member knowing of a case relating to the code is asked to advise Chairman Sweat (Pioneer National Title Insurance Company, 433 South Spring Street, Los Angeles, Calif. 90054) as soon as possible and send a copy of correspondence to Executive Vice President William J. McAuliffe, Jr., in the ALTA Washington office. • • • A cumulative national audience approaching 6 million viewed the award-winning ALTA film, "1429 Maple Street", in local public service telecasts during the last eight months of 1975. Stations donate related air time free in the public interest. Television distribution of the film is continuing in 1976 as an activity of the ALTA Public Relations Program. Members of the Association who wish to order 11-mlnute, 16mm color sound prints of the film for $104 each plus postage, may do so by writing the ALTA Washington office. The film tells about a house, the families who own it over half a century, and the land title problems they encounter. ~TITLE -"'f! '-1< ~;.,.,.,)NEW~~0 s ,.,.l£ n•s\l Association Officers Features President Let's Celebrate 5 Richard H. Howlett Proceedings, 69th Annual Convention American Land Title Association, Chicago, Illinois Title Insurance and Trust Company Los Angeles, California General Sessions President-Elect President's Report, Robert J. Jay 7 The 1976 Centennial of Title Insurance: Beginning a Second Century of Excellence, Philip D. McCulloch H. Randolph Farmer and Edward S. Schmidt 8 Hexter Fair Title Company Presentation of Title Insurance Centennial Proclamation from Mayor Richard Daley of Chicago, Dallas, Texas Alvin W. Long 10 Presentation of American Revolution Bicentennial Liberty Bell to ALTA, Fred B. From hold 10 Chairman, Finance Committee Award of ALTA Honorary Membership to Hart McKillop, Alvin R. Robin 10 Changing Patterns in Real Estate Development and Use, The Honorable Philip Alvin W. Long M. Klutznick 12 Do's and Don'ts of Labor Relations and the Effect of Equal Employment Opportunity Chicago Title and Trust Company Legislation on the Land Title Industry, Charles J. Griffm, Jr. 15 Chicago, Illinois Developments in State Legislation and Regulation Comments by Gerald L. Ippel 17 Treasurer Comments by Dr. Irving H. Plotkin 21 Fred B. Fromhold The Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act of 1974: Where Are We Now? Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company Comments by Donald p_ Kennedy 24 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Comments by Sanford Witkowski 25 Political Involvement-Our Heritage in a Democracy Chairman, Abstracters and Title PAC Means Act; Comments by Mrs_ Lee Ann Elliott 28 Insurance Agents Section The Land Title Industry Challenge; Comments by Francis E. O'Connor 30 The Economy and Housing, Herbert E. Neil, Jr. 32 Roger N. Bell Washington Report, William J. McAuliffe, Jr. 34 The Security Abstract & Title Company, Inc. Wichita, Kansas Title Insurance and Underwriters Section Some Disturbing Developments Chairman, Title Insurance and in Claims and Suits Tort Liability Under Title Policies; Comments by Joseph Mascari Underwriters Section 36 Class Actions; Comments by John C. Connelly 38 C. J. McConville Mechanic's Liens; Comments by Jack Tickner 40 Title Insurance Company of Minnesota Minneapolis, Minnesota Abstracters and Title Insurance Agents Section Problems Enco untered in Rewriting Chapter Nine, Texas Insurance Code, Robert C. Sneed 42 Immediate Past President Liability Under Title Insurance Agents Contracts, A Confrontation or Cooperative Survival Robert J . Jay Comments by William B. Boyd 44 Land Title Abstract Co. Comments by Robert L. Saville, Jr. 46 (Port Huron) Detroit, Michigan Election of Officers National Officers 50 Association Staff Section Officers 50 Executive Vice President Committee Reports William J. McAuliffe, Jr. Navigational Servitude Committee Report, Ray E. Sweat 51 Director of Public Affairs Report of the Committee on the Commission on Uniform Laws "(Uniform Land Transactions Act)", James M. Pedowitz 54 Gary L. Garrity Report of the Committee on Improvement of Land Title Records, Thomas E. Horak 56 Report of the Research Committee, John E. Jensen 58 Director of State Governmental Affairs Report of the Federal Legislative Action Committee, James G. Schmidt 61 Ralph J . Marquis Departments Director of Research A Message from the President Inside Front Cover Richard W. McCarthy ALTA Action 2 Index to 197 5 Title News Articles 62 Business Manager Names in the News 64 David R. McLaughlin Meeting Timetable 68 ON THE COVER: Best wishes for a prosperous centennial year. Association General Counsel VOLUME" 55, NUMBER 1, 1976 Thomas S. Jackson TITLE NEWS is published b.- American Land Title Jackson, Parkinson & Jackson Auociation. 1818 L Street. N. W .. Washington. D.C. 10036. /ph 1828 L Street, N.W. one / 101-196-3671. Washington, D.C. 20036 RICHARD W. RONDER, Editor It's not easy to avoid the liDielight for 100 years. For 100 years the people of the and others- to establish a good land insurance. The first insurance Land Title Insurance Industry have title as the foundation for safe and premium is the only one you pay been working behind the scenes to secure ownership or investment. and there are no renewal premiums serve the home-buying public­ In 1976the Land Title Insurance ever. The protection lasts as long searching the public records, Industry celebrates its centennial- as you and your heirs have an working with real estate 100 years of service and protection. interest in the property. professionals such as the broker, Whenever you buy or invest in real It's one of the best policies of attorney, mortgage lender, builder estate always get land title protection you can buy. American Land Title Association 1828 L Street, N.W., Washington , D.C.