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December 2011 | Volume 4 • Number 9
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Update from ATG Administration

CEO Year-End Report

Why ATG Succeeds

We are just concluding our 47th year in business, and it has been quite a ride. We have expanded our offices from three to 14, and our subsidiaries from zero to six. When I started at ATG in 1981, our annual revenue was less than $2 million a year. It climbed to nearly $10 million in 1990 and topped $25 million in 2000.

In 2011, we will generate more than $30 million in revenue from a wide variety of sources. More importantly, ATG generates nearly $100 million in annual revenue to our law firm members.

By making real estate and trust services revenue producing and cost effective for law firms, we are able to fulfill our mission to give consumers access to legal counsel in the most important financial transactions of their lives. Read the full article.


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It has been our great pleasure and honor to be of service to our membership and the real estate community in 2011, and we look forward to doing the same in 2012 and the years to follow. We wish you a Happy and Healthy Holiday Season!

Sincerely,

Peter J. Birnbaum
ATG President and CEO
 

ATTORNEYS | Practice Notes

REAL ESTATE AND TITLE INSURANCE NEWS
 
EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2012: Notice Regarding Water and Sewer Charge Full Payment Certificates — As a result of a recent amendment to the City of Chicago Municipal Code, all transfers of property will require a Full Payment Certificate (FPC). This will include previously exempt property transfers such as quit claim and government agency transactions.
 
Corrective Deeds: When Will Illinois Courts Reform a Deed in Illinois? — Grantors and grantees make mistakes on deeds. Here are some examples and their solutions.
 

CASENOTES

Federal
RESPA Edwards v First American Corp — RESPA anti-kickback provision creates a cause of action for any party who is charged for a settlement service involved with a violation. The party does not need to be overcharged in order to have standing. Any charge paid for such a service creates an injury and the party can collect damages of three times the amount paid.
 
Illinois
Judgments: LVNV Funding, LLC v Trice — As an apparent matter of first impression, any judgment entered in favor of an unregistered collection agency is void.
 
Indiana
Easements: Hochstetler Living Trust v Friends of the Pumpkinvine Nature Trail, Inc — A conveyance to a railroad that does not limit the purpose of the strip of land conveyed gives fee simple title to the railroad, rather than an easement.
 
Wisconsin
Easements: Pahl v American Transmission Company — Abandonment of an easement requires an affirmative act and, an easement cannot be extinguished by prescription when the owner of the servient estate recognizes the easement's existence.
 

ATG MEMBERS | Underwriters' Bulletin
 
This content is for members only. Consider joining — see Membership Benefits
 
PROCEDURAL UPDATES
 

ATG Requires Co-Exam Approval to Issue — A co-exam, when an ATG underwriter reviews a commitment, policy, and/or Date Down Endorsement for approval to issue, is required, in some cases by ATG Regulations, in the following situations (from the October 2010 ATG Casenotes and Underwriters' Bulletin).

Recording Requirements Strictly Enforced — How to be sure your recordable documents meet all State of Illinois requirements and avoid recording delays and additional charges.

REMINDER: 1099 Reporting - ATG has received numerous inquiries about the mechanics of satisfying the reporting requirements under Section 6045 of the Internal Revenue Code. We have gathered the information you need to understand and meet these requirements on the member section of our website, including an OnDemand seminar... read more
 

IN THE NEWS |ATG Supports Pro Bono and Legal Aid through the CBF; ATG President Elected to ALTA Board
 
ATG Makes a Gift in Support of Chicago Bar Foundation - Once again ATG, along with two of its top-member firms and the Law Bulletin Publishing Company joined together to make a sizable contribution to the Chicago Bar Foundation (CBF) to support its efforts to help several pro bono and legal aid organizations that are working together to help the growing number of people facing foreclosure.
 
Shown here at the Chicago Bar Association office in Chicago are David Gee, Director of Development, The Chicago Bar Foundation; Dennis Pierce, Pierce & Associates, P.C.; Peter Birnbaum, ATG President; Terry Murphy, Chicago Bar Association Executive Director; Henry Shulruff, ATG Senior Vice President; Greg Moody, Codilis & Associates, P.C.; Aurora Austriaco, Austriaco & Associates, ATG Board Member; and Ernie Codilis, Codilis & Associates, P.C.

American Land Title Association Names ATG's Peter Birnbaum to Board - The American Land Title Association (ALTA) announced that Peter Birnbaum has been appointed to its Board of Governors for the 2011-2012 year.

WHAT'S NEW | Member, CLE, Process, and Trust Services
 
ATG logo Re-Activate your ATG Membership - Has it been a while since you issued a policy? Are you ready to get started again? It's easy, and we can help. Make a small investment of time, start writing policies again, and add to your bottom line. Contact Member Services Representative Bob Dillow today!

  Take More, Save More - Kick off the new year with built-in savings. Buy a Lawyer Discount Package and take any of our Live or 24/7 CLE programs now through December 31, 2012, for one low one-time payment — take 12 OnDemand programs and save over $400!

Coming Spring 2012 to Wisconsin - Mark Your Calendar!

  • February 22 | E-Town Hall Meeting (webcast)
  • March 2 | Title Insurance Concepts in Wisconsin (Madison)
  • March 14 | Short Sales: Basic Procedures and Strategies for Success (Pewaukee)

See ATG Legal Education at www.atgf.com for our current program list.


ATG LegaLServe logo FAST AND FLEXIBLE: The Process Server Responsive to Your Needs - Get the finest process serving available to lawyers today. Learn what the LegalServe Difference can make in your practice and place your order today!
 

  About Us: An Introduction - You can offer a full range of trust services, including an array of high-quality investment vehicles with proven performance results, many of which are typically available only to very high net worth individuals and institutions, through ATG Trust... read more

NOT A MEMBER YET? Learn about the benefits to you and your clients.


 

[Last update: 12-28-11]