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32 | M R EP O RT SPONSORED CONTENT N ationwide Title Clearing (NTC) is in a unique posi- tion, seated between the mortgage industry and state and county government entities when it comes to the recordability of mortgage-related documents. Each have their own requirements and needs that don't always agree with each other. When they don't agree NTC ends up translating and bridging the gap. Navigating the complications of 3,600+ recording jurisdictions is paramount to NTC's success. We know, and deeply under- stand, these requirements. Our teams consistently examine the counties looking for changes and updates on fees, font, margin, data fields, signature, and language requirements. Our forms library is unrivaled when it comes to Assignments of Mortgage and Lien Release documents as to ac- curacy, efficacy, and recordability. NTC is also in a unique posi- tion to observe the "disconnect" between private and government agencies specific to real property records. NTC's close connection to the Property Records Industry Association (PRIA) allows us to have a voice with county record- ers. In addition to that our out- reach during our normal course of business, contacting counties, combined with the large volumes we process each month for our clients enables us to see where the "disconnects" lie which helps us to bridge the gap. We often find that our clients are busy making headway into what works for them; streamlin- ing the process and making the borrowers experience a better one. However, the county tends to be left out of this conversation. NTC through its work with PRIA helps give a voice to our clients and allows us to improve our process with county recorders which, in turn, helps our clients and in the end the borrower benefits from a smooth and timely transaction. How We Control the Recordability of Our Documents T he process for handling rejected documents is a pain point for everyone in the industry. Based on years of experience, I would say this is the number-one issue of disconnect. An organization's goal is to get the document recorded, which ends the lending process and completes the transfer and release of the lien, which is often needed to refinance and restart the process again. Speed is paramount. When documents are rejected, it puts a wrench into what is other- wise a fast and swift process here at NTC. Having this close connec- tion to counties allows us to be successful in the following ways: • Quickly understand the reason for the reject • Correct the reject • Incorporate measures to prevent future rejects NTC maintains one of the na- tion's fastest reject turnaround times. This is in no small measure to our connection with county recorders and helps to ensure that NTC's forms are the most recordable docu- ments within our industry. Our clients are confident with NTC's ability to solve issues on a county level. After all, we both have the same goal in preserving the integrity of our land records. We want an accurate and correct document on record that validates the chain of title, not breaks it. Counties will often turn to NTC to help solve issues they are experiencing. As an example, the Minnesota County Recorders Association reached out to NTC due to a problem the entire state was facing with legal sized documents being submitted via eRecord. This was an issue that most counties in Minnesota were experiencing in that the image of the document was being cut off due to settings on their end. The easy solution was to ask NTC to switch to a letter-size document. NTC accommodated the request and almost instantly handled a major issue due to the high vol- umes they receive from us. Our Unique Membership With PRIA N TC's PRIA relationship in unique in that there are only a few lenders or "submitters" represented within the organization. NTC helps provide a different view to the association, which is other- wise not represented as much as it could be. PRIA is creating industry standards and NTC is happy to be the voice for many who might not be represented otherwise. In clos- ing, NTC can connect all the dots. Everyone in our industry wants a well-oiled machine in the lending process from beginning to end. BRIAN ERNISSEE is a VP at Nationwide Title Clearing who oversees the Lien Release and Assignment document production. Under Ernissee's direction, NTC has increased its eRecording capability to nearly 85% of total volume and has established benchmark compliance systems in the areas of document review, document forms review, and signing authority. Ernissee is a board member and officer of PRIA having co-chaired many best practices standards guidelines for the Property Records Industry. NTC, A COVIUS SOLUTION is an expert research, audit and document processing provider for the nation's largest investors, servicers and lenders. Covius Solutions offer best in class services that span the life of the loan from origination to loan sale or payoff. Bridging the Gap: Coordination Between State and County Offices and the Mortgage Industry By Brian Ernissee