It’s week two of working from home and CATIC Title and the NJ title insurance industry remain open for business! On Saturday, March 21
st
, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy expanded restrictions on public gatherings and contacts under
Executive Order 107
, but our industry falls within the exception for banks and related financial institutions and may remain open as an essential service. We know that our NJ agents are continuing to conduct closings and that everyone is following CDC guidelines for cleanliness, and limiting personal contacts during in-person signings. We remain ready and able to instantly respond to any questions or issues that may arise regarding underwriting decisions, search reliance, closing issues and recordings, or business operation issues. Please e-mail us at
[email protected]
for an immediate reply.
In addition to the Governor’s Executive Order, both houses of the New Jersey Legislature passed
Assembly Bill 3864
which will allow NJ notaries to acknowledge signatures remotely. The remote online notary law is slated to take effect 90 days from enactment, unless the time frame is expedited by further action. Sometimes referred to as video-notarization, the law allows for the use of communication technology where the notary and signer are able to communicate simultaneously by sight and sound, with the notary having access to a process or service allowing the notary a means to identify the signer by referencing personal information from public or private data sources. An audio-visual recording of the performance of the notarial act must be created and preserved for 10 years. We are all excited about the prospect of being able to notarize documents when the signer is not in the physical presence of the notary, and we will advise and update our agents and other real estate professionals as to the effective date of this new legislation and applicable procedures.
Our NJ Agent Alerts of
March 16th
and
March 20th
review CATIC Title’s NJ guidelines and directions for operating during these difficult times. Our goal and intentions remain to facilitate and support the real estate transaction process as may be in the best interests of the parties as promptly, efficiently, and safely as possible. We will continue to update any marketplace procedural changes as well as impacts upon searching and recording practices.
We extend our warmest wishes to all. Stay safe and please know that we are available and anxious to assist and support our agents during these unusual times.
