Category Archives: Escrow

Content that relates to title insurance.

A Case of Brotherly Identity Theft…

Identity Theft

The case… This is a real estate fraud/identity theft case brought by plaintiffs Darryl Dumas (“Darryl”) and Darryl Dumas as Trustee of the Dumas Revocable Living Trust Agreement Dated February 7, 2001 against Darryl’s brother Derrick Dumas (“Derrick”), among others, concerning real property located at 1875 Paradise Drive, Los Angeles, Calif. 90025 (“Subject Property”). On…

Betrayed with an Uninsured Deed…

Beware of uninsured deeds.

An escrow officer in one of our sister operations opened a purchase transaction for $347,000. She ordered the title report and the order was assigned to Casandra, a commercial title officer. Casandra issued the report reflecting two owners of record: Maysa Alhelow, a single woman and Thomas Paul Helo, a married man as his sole…

Fake Short Pay Letters? True Story…

Short sale fraud

Leading the way. The FNF Family of Companies is the leader in the industry. Being the leader is not always easy. Many times we are the first ones who uncover the latest schemes and, as a result, issue a new policy and procedure. It is our settlement agents who are on the front lines implementing…

What Happens Between Signing and Closing of Escrow…

What happens between signing and escrow closing

What’s the difference between “Signing” and “Closing Escrow?” When people talk about a real estate purchase, they sometimes use the terms “signing” and “closing” interchangeably in reference to the event when the buyers sign documents with Escrow. However, there are several events that take place between the buyer’s signing appointment and the actual closing of…

Top 8 Questions About FIRPTA

FIRPTA Frequently asked questions

What is F.I.R.P.T.A.? F.I.R.P.T.A. is an acronym for Foreign Investment Real Property Tax Act.  It was established in 1980 for the purpose of withholding the estimated amount of taxes which may be due on the gain of the disposition of a U.S. Real Property Interest from foreign persons.  A U.S. real property interest includes sales…