When do I get the keys to my new house?

This is a frequently asked question at the closing table. The Standard Offer to Purchase and Contract in North Carolina states possession does not transfer to the new owners until the deed is recorded at the Register of Deeds office in the county where the property is located.

If the sellers deliver the keys to our law office, we have a duty to hold them until such time as the deed is recorded.

What happens if the keys are not delivered to the closing attorney’s office?

North Carolina Law Update

You have just purchased a property in North Carolina through a power of sale foreclosure only to discover that the property is being occupied by a tenant who has a lease agreement with the former owner of the property. Not only that, but they wish to remain in possession of the property until the end of their lease term. What do you do?

We’ve all heard of “trust fund babies” and know its negative connotation.  But trusts are not just for the rich and famous.  In fact, with current estate and gift tax exemptions at a high of $11.4 Million, most people are not even planning around estate taxes anymore.  Yet revocable living trusts are growing, despite this change. Here are the primary reasons why:

Spot the Scam – How to Avoid Wire Fraud and Compromised Communications in  Real Estate Transactions

In recent years, internet fraud is one of the top growing concerns in residential and commercial real estate transactions. Today’s modern thieves, also known as “hackers”, are constantly inventing new ways to defraud both real estate professionals and their clients out of their hard-earned money. 

Realtors & Agents: Here's the "anatomy" of Title Insurance

As a real estate agent, you know firsthand that buying or a selling a home can be overwhelming.  Clients can be confused or frustrated with the amount of paperwork involved in the transaction.  In addition, fees associated with closing can compound the problem.  Title insurance is one of the most-often misunderstood items, yet its value is priceless.  As an advisor to your clients, you are in a unique position to help them understand title insurance and the hazards of not having it.

Preparing for Battle: A Buyer’s Guide for Negotiating in a Sellers’ Market

North Carolina Session Law 2018-40, which became effective on July 1, 2018, amends portions of N.C.G.S. § 45-21.21. The amendments revise the procedure for postponing a foreclosure sale and set forth a new procedure for canceling a foreclosure sale.

Earlier this month, the North Carolina Court of Appeals rejected a challenge to a foreclosure special proceeding based on res judicata in Roberson v. Tr. Services of Carolina, LLC, No. COA17-1152. In this decision, the Court of Appeals reaffirmed the seminal 2016 Supreme Court decision, Matter of Lucks, limiting the applicability of the doctrine in the context of non-judicial foreclosure.

Just because you are hurt at work does not mean you have a workers’ compensation claim. North Carolina requires an injury by accident arising out of the course and scope or employment in order to be a compensable claim. The term “injury by accident” has been defined by our courts as a slip, trip or fall. Alternatively, it can be an untoward event that does not fall within the parameters of the worker’s normal job duties.

Chances are if a home was built before the mid-1960s to late 1970s in North Carolina, it used oil heat as fuel for the furnace and stored the oil in an underground storage tank (“UST”). Luckily, most oil heating systems have been replaced with newer systems fueled by electricity or natural gas. Although heating systems have changed, many homes still contain USTs buried underground that may still contain oil. Over time, USTs can corrode leading to oil leaks, contaminated soil and contaminated groundwater.

December can be a very busy month for family law attorneys as we try to coordinate holiday visitation and ensure exchanging children will go as smoothly as possible for our clients. What I advise clients is for them to review and be aware of the parameters of the court-ordered visitation schedule before it gets here. Most holiday visitation schedules supersede or override the normal day-to-day visitation schedule to which parents are accustomed.

North Carolina recently passed a new NC Uniform Power of Attorney Act, which replaces the old Power of Attorney Chapter 32A and becomes effective January 1, 2018. The Act changes a number of provisions including a new short form power of attorney and a new limited power of attorney for real property. Other provisions affected include agent certification, durability of the document, gifting powers, self-dealing powers, co-agents and how to handle power of attorneys executed out of state. As a result, NC lenders will begin to see new power of attorney forms in 2018.

If you think back to the movie Rocky V, Rocky Balboa executed a “power of attorney” in favor of an individual he believed he trusted. The individual who received Rocky’s power of attorney (the “Agent”) proceeded to squander all of Rocky’s money leaving him broke and forced to move out of his mansion and back to his old apartment. One might ask, “How is that even possible?” The answer comes in the form of a Durable Power of Attorney.

Your marriage may have failed, but a collaborative process can give you an opportunity to find a solution for your divorce. Collaborative Divorce is an alternative to traditional divorce litigation, which can be costly, adversarial, and prolonged.  Key elements of collaborative divorce include:

Pursuant to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) rules implemented on October 3, 2015, real estate attorneys should obtain certification as being ALTA (American Land Title Association) Best Practices compliant and should maintain and enforce written policies and procedures to protect client privacy. Maintaining clean desk and document storage policies has resulted in real estate firms across the state embracing paperless environments. Managing and storing documents electronically helps to mitigate security risks and adhere to CFPB requirements.