SERRANO UMPIERRE

 Covid-19: Closing Process

 

In order to comply with Dekalb County Executive Order 20-001 and Georgia Executive Order 04.02.20.01, our office is making the following changes to our processes:

 

 

Earnest Money- In order to protect the safety of our customers and our employees during the ongoing emergency due Covid-19, we ask that earnest money being held by Serrano Umpierre, LLC be delivered via wire transfer or by mail only.   Please contact us if you have any questions.

 

 

SIGNING OPTIONS:

 

Our office is open for business, as we are designated as an essential business.  We are offering several options for closing:

 

Parties may come to our office and close in the traditional manner.   

 

**IF AT OFFICE CLOSING IS REQUESTED, we ask you to have only the interested parties that are required to sign at our closing office .  We also ask that the parties get here no earlier or later than 5 minutes prior to the scheduled closing time. If a closing time is missed, the closing will have to be moved to another day or the parties will have to wait outside of the building until we can attend to their closing.  This will be strictly enforced as we will not allow more than 10 persons in our office at any given time, as required by the current Executive Order. 

 

Other options for closing:

 

CASH CLOSINGS

 

• Buyers may sign documents via email and scan them back or via electronic signatures, as none of the documents require a notary or witness.

 

• Sellers need to either come to our office for closing (drive thru available), sign via mail away,  or audio-video notary (this only applies if the seller is located in the State of Georgia.) 

 

LOAN CLOSINGS:

 

PURCHASES OR REFINANCES

 

• Sellers need to either come to our office for closing (drive thru available), sign via mail away, or audio-video notary(this only applies if the seller is located in the State of Georgia.)

 

 

 

Purchaser/Borrowers:  NEW!

 

• Audio-Video Notary:

 

Our firm can send the closing documents to the signer via overnight delivery, via secure email (receiver must have ability to print all documents on letter size paper),  and/or via courier (provided by the buyer). The purchaser/borrower will sign in presence of the Attorney on the video closing; The buyer must be physically located in Georgia and must provide a valid government-issued photo ID and then original executed documents shall be returned to our firm either through a courier, (provided by the buyer), via the signer dropping them off, or through overnight delivery (charges apply).  Once we receive the original signed documents, the notary will notarize the documents, will disburse funds and record , providing that we are in possession of all original documents, funds, and lender approval.

 

• Please be aware that this option will present obstacles, will require more time to accomplish, and  will delay the funding and completion of the closing.  

 

           

At office closings:

 

1. Bring your ID and a copy of your ID if possible

2. please take home with you the pen used to sign the documents. ( we will provide one)   

3. Closing tables and chairs will be sanitized between each closing

4. Staff will continue to be encouraged to follow social distancing protocols to keep greater distance between individuals.

5. All employees are instructed to stay home when they are feeling sick or to go home early should they begin to feel ill after they arrive at work.

6. If you or your clients have any concerning symptoms, or have been out of the country in the past 14 days, please notify your precloser ASAP. We are happy to draft a power of attorney free of charge to encourage anyone with concerns to stay home.

7. We encourage everyone to stop on the way into the office and wash their hands, and avoid touching their face.

8. Drive thru service is available upon request but cannot involve loan documents.

 

 

POWER OF ATTORNEY:  Our firm will not act as power of attorney for any party in the transaction.  However, if a party to the transaction has a need to use a power of attorney for a closing, we can gladly prepare the document at no cost.   Buyers with loan have lender restrictions on power of attorneys and need lender approval.  Please contact us if you have any questions regarding this matter.

 

Our alternatives are for the convenience of all parties and legally compliant as to how closing attorneys are required to close loans in Georgia during this emergency.  It also increases safety for all parties involved, including you and us.  Our goal is to stay in place and working to close everyone’s transactions and to do that, we all need to stay healthy.