10 March

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Benchmark Title CLE – Negotiating Real Estate Broker Listing Agreements

Benchmark Title Agency in conjunction with First American Title Insurance Company Invites you to attend our Continuing Legal Education Webinar: “NEGOTIATING REAL ESTATE BROKER LISTING AGREEMENTS” Thursday, March 23, 2023 | 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM (ET) Presented by Louis Petralia, Esq. For this program there will be 1.50 CLE credits (1.5 Professional Practice) Click the link below to register: Register Now! ...

04 January

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Changes to Peconic Bay Community Preservation Fund Tax Rate and Allowances

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Changes to Peconic Bay Community Preservation Fund Tax Rate and Allowances

Section 1449-bb of Article 31-D of the New York Tax Law grants Towns in the Peconic Bay Region the authority to impose a real estate transfer tax on each conveyance of real property or interest therein. Section 1449-bb, along with various local Town Codes, was recently amended to (i) increase the allowances for improved properties, and (ii) eliminate allowances for transactions over a certain amount. East Hampton, Shelter Island, Southampton, and Southold will be affected; Riverhead will remain unchanged. Effective for conveyances dated on and after 1/1/23 there will be an increase in the allowable exemption from the Peconic Bay Preservation...

03 January

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Land Record Alert: Cott Systems

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On Monday, December 26, Cott Systems Inc. (“Cott”), a national provider of County Clerk records management systems and solutions, was the victim of an organized cyber-attack, resulting in the shutdown of county records systems and/or e-recording services in New York State and elsewhere. It is unknown when Cott will be fully operational, or when connectivity and all of their services will be restored, although we were advised that they will implement methods to enable the manual processing of transactions. The affected counties in New York are: Cattaraugus Clinton Onondaga Rockland Schuyler Chenango Tioga The effect of the shutdown means we cannot search, exam or record in the counties noted above....

09 November

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Due Diligence and Ethics in Residential Real Estate

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Benchmark Title Agency, LLC in collaboration with AmTrust Title invites you to attend our Continuing Legal Education Webinar on: “DUE DILIGENCE AND ETHICS IN RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE: DO NOT SIGN THE CONTRACTS YET!” Tuesday, November 29, 2022 | 10:00 - 11:30 AM ET | Virtual Presented by: Jason Bergman, ESQ. Vice President & Senior Underwriting Counsel (Benchmark Title Agency) Margaret T. Ling, ESQ. NYS Agency Business Development & Underwriting Counsel (AmTrust Title) Click the button below to register: Register Here 1 CLE CREDIT IN AREAS OF PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE & .5 CLE CREDIT IN ETHICS ...

14 September

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Suffolk County Websites and Emails are Offline

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Suffolk County Websites and Emails are Offline

In response to a “cyber intrusion”, Suffolk County government websites and emails - including the Office of the Clerk – are offline, and have been since Thursday night. Their systems will remain offline until at least Wednesday, preventing the title industry from conducting new or updated searches at the Suffolk County Clerk’s office. Notwithstanding the above, transactions may still close and be insured on a case-by-case review of the relevant facts. Please note that to insure without the benefit of a new or updated search, a title affidavit with an indemnity covering the gap between the effective date of the existing...

24 August

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Benchmark CLE – Remote Notarization

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PLEASE BE INFORMED, THIS WILL NOW BE A REMOTE- ONLINE CLE and WILL NO LONGER BE IN PERSON. Benchmark Title Agency, LLC in conjunction with First American Title Insurance Company invites you to attend our Continuing Legal Education Webinar on: “REMOTE NOTARIZATION” WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2022 9:15 AM - 10:15 AM (EDT) Presented by: Jean Partridge, Esq. Chief Counsel & Managing Member (Benchmark Title Agency) Adam Etman, Esq. Counsel (Benchmark Title Agency) If you already registered for the in-person CLE, you do not have to register again. Please follow this link to register if you’re a new attendee: Register Here 1.00 CLE Credit (1 General Practice) There is no charge for this...

06 April

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CPLR § 5004 – Amended; Statutory Rate of Interest Reduced for Certain Judgments

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CPLR-5004-Amended-website-featured-image

New York Consolidated Laws, Civil Practice Law and Rules (“CPLR”) Section 5004 – Rate of interest, has been amended. Effective April 30, 2022 (the “Effective Date”), the interest rate applicable to money judgments arising from actions involving consumer debt where the defendant is a natural person will be calculated at the rate of two percent (2%) per annum, except where otherwise provided by statute. All other money judgments will retain the existing statutory rate of interest of nine per percent (9%) per annum, of course, except where otherwise provided by statute. CPLR § 5004 was amended to read as follows: Interest shall...

29 March

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Benchmark CLE – Representing Foreign Purchaser and Foreign Sellers in Real Estate

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Representing foreign purchasers and foreign sellers in real estate

Benchmark Title Agency, LLC in collaboration with AmTrust Title invites you to attend our Continuing Legal Education Webinar on: “REPRESENTING FOREIGN PURCHASERS AND FOREIGN SELLERS IN REAL ESTATE” Tuesday, April 12, 2022 | 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM ET | Virtual Presented by: Jason Bergman, ESQ. Vice President & Senior Underwriting Counsel (Benchmark Title Agency) Margaret T. Ling, ESQ. NYS Agency Business Development & Underwriting Counsel (Amtrust Title) Click the button below to register: Register Here 1.5 CLE CREDIT IN AREAS OF PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE ...

08 March

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Remote Notarization Permitted in New York

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Remote Notarization Permitted in New York

On February 24, 2022, Gov. Kathleen C. Hochul signed into law legislation that allows for the permanent use of remote online notarizations (“RON”) in New York. For the full text of Chapter 104 of the Laws of 2022, amending the Executive Law on February 24, 2022, see https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2021/s7780. The bill also permits Remote Ink Notarizations (“RIN”), which is similar to remote notarization that was once permitted under the now expired Executive Order. The legislation defines remote online notarization as the act of performing any notarial act while a principal is not in the physical presence of the notary at the time...

01 February

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Benchmark CLE – Title Surveys

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Benchmark Title Agency, LLC in collaboration with WFG National Title Insurance Company invites you to attend our Continuing Legal Education Webinar on: “TITLE SURVEYS” February 15, 2022 | 10:30 AM ET Presented by Lisa Zeppieri & Hillary Kriss (WFG National Title Insurance Company) By attending this course, you will walk away with a clear understanding of title issues related to surveys and how to resolve these types of issues before you get to the closing table. * This program provides you the opportunity to earn one credit towards the professional practice requirement, appropriate for newly admitted and experienced attorneys. Here’s what YOU can expect to learn: ...