Jpoff2020, Author at Greater Illinois Title Company

GREATER ILLINOIS TITLE COMPANY

DRIVE UP Closings

Greater Illinois Title Company is working to provide safe and convenient options to help our clients. We are currently offering two options for Drive Up closings.

For purchase transactions, -Drive Up to a GIT office
For refinance transactions – Drive Up to the borrower’s home

BOTH OPTIONS DESCRIBED BELOW WILL REQUIRE THE FOLLOWING:

1. Schedule A Closing APPOINTMENT

Call or email your local GIT office
Email [email protected]
Email [email protected]
Contact your GIT Account Manager

2. Obtain APPROVED HEALTH FORM

For anyone who may enter our offices or who will be involved in a Drive Up closing, GIT will send out and obtain a simple health screening form and ask that it be filled out and sent back to the local GIT closing office for review and approval prior to the closing.

CLOSINGS:

We are strongly encouraging the Seller(s) and Buyer(s) to obtain a Power of Attorney from his/her/their respective attorneys to limit or eliminate the need for people at the closing table.
With the lender’s authorization, GIT will send paperwork to the buyer/borrower and the respective attorney ahead of time to allow time for review and any questions.
Seller(s) attorney can UPS paperwork to GIT for their closing. GIT will provide UPS Services at no charge

DRIVE UP Purchase CLOSINGS:

A GIT staff member will meet you at the scheduled time, obtain evidence of a government issued ID, and hand over an envelope only with the pages that require a “wet ink” signature. The client will then need to execute these documents.
The executed documents will then be taken back to our office for final processing and notarization. We will contact you if there are any further questions.
Not all closings may qualify for the Drive-Up Closing Services , so please contact your GIT closing office or your GIT Account Manager for further information in order to determine if a closing qualifies for this option.

Refinance Closings:

We are recommending the following in order of preference for refinance closings:

Drive Up to a GIT Office
Drive Up at borrower’s home
Remote Online Notarization where authorized

Drive Up Closing at a Borrower’S HOME

GIT will send paperwork to the borrowers ahead of time to allow time to review and contact us with questions.

If all is approved, clients will receive a scheduled appointment time. Our mobile closer will then drive up to the home, obtain evidence of a government issued ID and hand over an envelope only with the pages that require a “wet ink” signature.
The executed documents will then be taken back to our office for final processing and notarization.
Not all closings may qualify for the service so please contact your GIT closing office for further information in order to determine if a closing qualifies for this service.

REMOTE ONLINE NOTARIZATION (ron)

Remote Online Notarization is electronic notarization done by a licensed and commissioned notary public via a secure two-way communication system. Illinois is in the process of studying an emergency executive order to allow a form of RON to facilitate closings

If you have any questions, please contact your GIT Account Executive at any time.

We’re all in this together. Be Safe and Stay Healthy!

Greater Illinois Title Company

During these uncertain times we are striving to provide all necessary title and escrow services to our clients while still protecting the health and safety of our employees and office visitors. In order to exercise an abundance of caution, and limit our person to person contact, during the COVID-19/Coronavirus pandemic we are implementing the following procedures at the GIT Group of Companies. Thank you for your understanding during these unprecedented times.

Note: We are requesting that only those persons that need to sign documents be present at the closings. Additionally, all attendees will be asked to complete a Health Screening Form.

Cash Transactions
Cash transactions may be closed electronically via e-mail and/or DocuSign, upon request. The staff at GIT are well trained in closing transactions using these methods.
Recommendations to assist in this process:

Please send all necessary documents, including any documents that were pre-signed, to your GIT office in advance of closing, via email for review by GIT staff.
GIT will coordinate the signing of any additional necessary documents via email or DocuSign, if necessary. GIT will send a link to signers for a one time sign-up. If a POA is being used, the link will be sent to the person with authority to sign.
A UPS or FedEx label will be provided at no additional cost to any party that needs to send GIT documents or checks, including the original deed.
Proceeds and other disbursements will be sent by GIT overnight via UPS.
Documents requiring notarization will still require ‘wet ink” signatures in Illinois and those states that do not have functioning Remote On-Line Notarization statutes implemented

Lender- Seller Instructions
Lender funded sale side transaction.
The process below eliminates the need for the Seller and Seller’s Representation to attend the closing in person.

Please send all necessary documents, including any documents that were pre-signed, to your GIT office, in advance of closing, via email for review by GIT staff.
Closing Statements will be emailed to all parties for review prior to closing.
GIT will coordinate the signing of any additional necessary documents via email or DocuSign if necessary. GIT will send a link to signers for a one time sign-up. This includes any documents that the lender requires other parties (i.e. Realtors®) to sign, if approved by the lender. If a POA is approved by the lender and being used, the link will be sent to the person with authority to sign.
A UPS or FedEx label will be provided at no additional cost to any party that needs to send GIT documents or checks, including the original deed.
On the day of closing the final Master Settlement Statement and Seller CD will be sent out for final approval and signature.
Proceeds and other disbursements will be sent by GIT overnight via UPS or FedEx.

Lender- Buyer Instructions
Lender funded buy side transaction.

Closing Statements will be emailed to all parties for review prior to closing.
Seller and title documents can be reviewed and signed electronically before closing using DocuSign, if necessary, as described above
Only Buyers or their representatives or legal counsel required to sign Lender documents should attend the closing.
After document signing, parties will be notified once transaction has funded.
Once the file has funded, proceeds and other disbursements will be sent overnight via UPS along with a signed closing statement or available for pickup.
We are happy to request lender approval of POA’s if requested in order to facilitate the closing POA’s must approved by GITGC, Attorney and Lender prior to closing.

We understand the need for flexibility during these times, and we will be able to accommodate clients in our offices, or via a “drive through” signing whereby only documents that need a ‘wet ink” signature will be presented to the borrowers with proper government issued ID. This is all part of GITGC’s striving to implement “No Contact Closings”. Thank you for your understanding and patience during this extraordinary time.

If you have further questions or need assistance with anything, please reach out to us!

[email protected]

The GIT Group of Companies recognize this unsettling time with the COVID-19/Coronavirus situation rapidly evolving across the country. We are closely monitoring developments related to the spread of the virus. Our priority remains the safety of employees and customers that visit our offices.

The GIT Group of Companies has in place a Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Plan which is currently in effect. This proactive plan puts into place preventative measures to minimize contact and potential exposure to COVI D – 19 and having some GIT Team members work remotely to minimize exposure risk. We are implementing extra measures to minimize the spread of bacteria in our offices. We have increased the frequency to a daily disinfecting of workspaces as well as closing tables, counters, chairs, coffee bar areas, handles, desks and other items.

The Coronavirus Response Plan is being implemented in conjunction with our Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Plan. This includes deploying certain staff to work remotely under secure conditions. Employees working remotely are supplied with corporately provisioned secure devices to work from home. Remote access protocol is followed and cleared by the GIT IT staff. GIT has eighteen branch offices in the Chicago Metro area and five offices in Northwest Indiana which are able to accommodate closings should the situation arise in which one or more of our locations would be impacted by any coronavirus matter.

The GIT Group of Companies have robust SOC2 Certified Business Continuity Plans in place to ensure that all of our operations will continue to run efficiently and effectively. These plans are tested regularly and enhanced to ensure seamless operational functionality.

We are now in the process of implementing and executing our Business Continuity Plan by primarily focusing on having certain employees work remotely while still being able to provide full and seamless operational capabilities. We will await further guidance and directives from government agencies and the CDC. We are committed to communicating to staff, customers, clients and the general public as more information becomes available.

We will continue to evaluate the COVID-19 situation. Our thoughts go out to anyone who may be affected by the coronavirus. We are here to help, remain fully operational and will take every necessary step to continue to provide the services that you rely on with a minimum level of disruption as events unfold.

Should anyone have any questions please feel free to reach out at any time.

Thank you for your continued trust in the GIT Group of Companies. Stay healthy.

Gregory M. Kosin

Greater Illinois Title Company Celebrates Its 35th Anniversary