YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, WE HAVE ANSWERS!
VIVA ESCROW Q & A SEGMENT
(Real questions sent to us – verbatim!)
QUESTION:
I have concerns as my purchase escrow closed a few weeks ago and I still have not received the original deed. I need it for school registration, etc. I wasn’t sure if the final deed would be mailed automatically or if I need to request an official copy from LA County directly?
ANSWER:
We looked at a copy of your deed that was sent to the County for recording at closing and the mailing address on the top left hand corner does show it should be mailed to your new property address. Here is a copy of the recorded deed for your school registration and other needs. You should receive the original soon.
EDUCATIONAL MOMENT:
This is a great educational moment for anyone who is interested in the process that goes into recording escrow closing documents in California. Please note that the recording process is different in different states. This video might be a little long, but bear with me if you are interested.
Here is the recording process when we were in the “Stone Age” (prior to the technology age):
- After the Title Company reviews the original, physical deed, it is sent the day before the closing date, by messenger to the 3rd party vendor, which we will call here the RSC or “Recording Servicing Company.” They have their own office at the County Recorder’s office.
- The RSC reviews each document to make sure all the necessary information is included, and that the document is signed and notarized correctly.
- The next morning, based on their daily rotated place in line, the RSC people, documents in hand, form a line at the County Recorder’s several recording windows designated just for them. Just like a grocery line if you need a visual of this!
- As they walk up to the windows the recorder staff reviews each document that is submitted.
- If approved, the recorder stamps the recording instrument number and date of recording on the document. If not approved, it is rejected and the document is returned with an explanation. Our terminology is that “the document is pulled.”
- The RSC advises the Title Company which documents got recorded, their instrument numbers, and which documents got “pulled.” The Title Company, in turn, advises the Escrow company. A “pulled” document is always an unfortunate occurrence and Escrow has to be the bearer of bad news and advise the clients that the closing must be postponed until the document issue is corrected.
- The original recorded documents are held by the County Recorder as they make copies to pass on to the various agencies who need that information, like the Assessors’ office.
- When they have time, the Recorder then mails the original to the address on the top left corner. In the heyday, when a busy recorder’s office was recording thousands of documents a day, mailing it out was low priority and could take months.
Very, very low tech, wasn’t it? It’s amazing to us today, a few decades down the road.
Today, in the more “technologically enhanced age,” the whole recording process is much more simplified.
- The timing and review of the documents remains the same.
- The original document does not leave the Title Company building because the RSC has a special person manning a special scanner during office hours right on the premises.
- The RSC scans the full document to the Recorder for review, preferably the day before the actual recording.
- The document could still be “pulled” if there are issues.
- But, if approved, on the recording day, the Recorder scans back a cover page with their official stamp, recording date and instrument number. This cover page gets attached to the original document.
- The RSC then will mail out the original with the stamped cover page. This electronic recording slims down the process and the mail out time tremendously.
For your information, some of the smaller County Recorders, mainly in Northern California, are still using the old system because they cannot afford the cost to upgrade the whole system to become electronic.
Finally, no matter manual or electronic, once a document is recorded, it enters the recorder’s system and it becomes of public record. Anyone researching your property ownership through the system will see the recorded deed and realize who owns the property. The need for an owner to have an “original” deed is no longer necessary.
Yay for technology!
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~ Video of the Month ~
(If I haven’t sent this to you before, doing so now because we all need a good laugh)
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~ Quote of the Month ~
“It is useless to meet revenge with revenge.”
~ Frodo Baggins in Lord of the Rings ~
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Talking about original deeds – Is this an original or a copy?
Escrow From the Trenches – Attorney Series Part 4
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You Have Questions? We Have Answers!
Juliana Tu, CSEO, CEO, CBSS, CEI, SASIP
“Escrow is my FOREMOST language!”
Advance Disclosure:
The opinions expressed in this blog are solely the author’s.
Your comments and viewpoints are always welcome.
Info @ VivaEscrow.com