AGENCY BLOG

Issue No.301, October 19, 2022

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NEWS ARTICLES
INDUSTRY

The Model Notary Act of 2022: An overview


The role of the Notary Public has changed more in the past two decades than ever before. Remote communication, electronic signatures and seals, and the rise of identity theft and other sophisticated forms of fraud have posed many challenges for states striving to ensure that their Notary laws keep up with the many challenges Notaries face in the 21st century.


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OriginClear Teams Up with Real Estate Leader for Off-Grid Housing


The Clean Water Innovation Hub™, announces its collaboration with Inc. 500 real estate pioneer Ivan Anz to develop off-grid housing solutions. Ivan founded PhilanthroInvestors™, which promotes human welfare while earning a financial return. “As people move into attractive cities and states, developers are looking at more affordable land off the grid,” said Ivan Anz, an OriginClear advisor. “Instead of paying millions for sewage connections, they are learning they can sign a contract for self-sufficient water service, sometimes without any up-front costs!”



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In groundbreaking plan, California allows affordable housing on some commercial properties


In a historic deal between affordable housing groups and labor unions, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two major bills Wednesday to convert underutilized and vacant commercial buildings into housing.


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Real Property, Financial Services, & Title Insurance Update


 Week Ending July 22, 2022


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The Rising Threat to Homeowners


One quarter of all home sales in Philly are to corporate investors, not residents. Drexel’s Metro Finance Director joins the Reinvestment Fund in laying out why that matters — and what can be done to stem the tide.


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LEGAL

Recent Second Circuit decision holds that conducting a foreclosure sale upon a property after a tenant files for Bankruptcy violated the automatic stay


In New York, it is a standard practice to name all tenants residing in a building when foreclosing upon the property. That is because section 1311 of the New York Real Property Actions and Proceedings Law (“RPAPL”) states that the necessary defendants in a foreclosure action include anyone “whose interest is claimed to be subject and subordinate to the plaintiff’s lien,” including “[e]very person having an estate or interest in possession, or otherwise, in the property as tenant in fee, for life, by the courtesy or for years.” Thus, New York courts have held that “tenants are necessary parties to a foreclosure action.” 1426 46 St., LLC v. Klein, 60 A.D.3d 740 (2d Dep’t 2009)


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Delays in Obtaining Permits Leading to Property Foreclosure Not a Regulatory Taking


Federal Court Judge Cheryl Ann Kraus was ‘riding the Circuit’ and decided a regulatory takings case while sitting in the District Court, District of New Jersey captioned James v. Vornlocker. Full opinion here 2022-8-31 Vornlocker. The case was decided on motions for summary judgment, and it appears that Plaintiff admitted most of the facts and failed to genuinely contest the remaining facts set forth in the motions.


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Massachusetts law about adverse possession [Massachusetts]


A compilation of laws, cases, and web sources on adverse possession law 


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What Is a Beneficiary Deed and How Does It Work?


When it comes to leaving property, the most renowned options include setting up a trust and listing your heirs in your will. However, you can also use a beneficiary to pass down property to your child or heir and ensure your belongings end up in the right hands.


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Vantage Point: It May Be in Writing, But…


I have been working on an immense land acquisition for open space for nearly a year now. It has been drama from Day One for everyone I am working with (I’ll call us “Team A”) and continues to be a source of insomnia as deadlines repeatedly are pushed back to address newly revealed problems



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WORLD

Land titles under FRA lend dignity to 21 single women


Sundari Huika is happy that her daughter in-law Rupai Huika, with whom she shares a cordial relationship even after her son Sanjays death, now owns land. Rupai is one among the 21 single women who received individual land titles under the Forest Rights Act (FRA) on January 7 last year, in tribal-dominated Boriguda village of Rayagada district. This is the first instance of single women gaining such rights anywhere in Odisha. 


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TECHNOLOGY

Borrowing and Renting in the Metaverse: The Disputes Are Yet to Come 

Second Life, which was brought to virtual life by Linden Lab in 2003, is widely acknowledged as the first "metaverse" in which individuals could acquire, build on and, if they wished, sell virtual land. Coming to life long before the advent of cryptocurrency, the coin of the realm was the U.S. dollar, and land could be acquired through auctions held by Second Life. 


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PEOPLE IN THE NEWS

American Land Title Association Announces Winners of ALTA Our Values Awards

The American Land Title Association (ALTA), the national trade association of the land title insurance industry, announced the winners of the 2022 ALTA Our Values Awards. The awards program showcases the title insurance industry's Our Values initiative, which serves as a cultural compass and highlights core ideals ALTA members embrace. 


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Title Agents Take Business to the Next Level

We're here to make the process simple and profitable for agents interested in growing their business by expanding into multiple states. We offer you one point of contact to streamline your options and solutions.


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OTHER TRENDING NEWS

 If Top Gun Were Made By Cats


The birds have declared war on earthbound animals, threatening them and making life miserable by bombing them with poop. They've even harnessed a rooster to provide more ammunition! The situation couldn't be more dire. The humans don't know what to do, and the dog is useless as usual, so it's up to the cats to save the day. You might not know it, but our feline friends have fighter jets at their disposal. Go figure. 


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Real estate agent who sold The Watcher house reveals client backed out over horror story: 'It was crazy'


"There was such a stigma on the house," the agent tells EW, adding that potential clients had to sign off on knowing the terrifying history that inspired Ryan Murphy's Netflix show. What's worse than living in a (potentially) cursed house? Trying to sell that (potentially) cursed house to prospective buyers


Read more   [Contributed by Bill Collins, Frontier Abstract]

The Village Without Sun Which Created Its Own

In 2006, the mayor of an Alpine village unveiled a mirror capable of reflecting the sunlight


Viganella is an Italian town located on the Alps, in the region Piedmont. As of December 2010, it had a population of 204. You might think that Viganella is a small mountain town just like many others, but you would be wrong. There is something more, something extraordinary. Until 2006, the town used to remain shadowed for eighty-three days per year — from November 11 to February 2.



Read more [Contributed by Bill Collins, Frontier Abstract]

The Pug Anti-Bandit Bag


Inventor John Rinfret debuted his "Pug Anti-Bandit Bag" in 1963. His idea was that, if attacked, you could activate a spring that would forcefully eject all the contents from the bag. The attacker would be so shocked that he would run away. At least, that was the theory.


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Coffin Chairs


London-based "Chairbox Design" has come out with what it calls "The Last Shift Office Chair." It's a coffin chair.



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