Barristers Title Services

12/14/2023

IT'S HERE! 💜 The BTS 2023 Holiday Video Card!

(Hint, hint...It's a Barbie Party!)

12/07/2023

BARRISTERS TITLE RECIPE: Mom's Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe

In perfect time for the holidays, Jennifer is sharing her mom's sweet potato casserole recipe. This is one of Jennifer's favorite dishes her mom serves at Thanksgiving every year. Enjoy!

Topping Ingredients:

1 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup flour

1/3 stick butter

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Topping Directions: Chop nuts in a food processor first. Remove nuts and combine rest of ingredients quickly in the food processor. Add chopped nuts and combine briefly. Sprinkle on top of the potato mixture.

Filling Ingredients:

3 cups sweet potatoes

1 cup sugar (can use less or you can use part or all Splenda)

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 stick of soft or melted butter

1/2 cup evaporated milk

1 tsp butter flavoring (or butter)

1 tsp sherry

2 eggs beaten

Directions: Mix all of the filling ingredients in the food processor (you don’t have to wash it after chopping the nuts). Cover with the topping mixture. Put into a greased baking dish. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 35 minutes.

Notes: Serves 8-11 people if not a lot of sides. You can make this ahead and freeze to cook later (after thawing).

From mom with love.

11/28/2023

THE QUILL TIP *UPDATE*
Unfair Real Estate Agreements/HB 422

We first addressed this topic in the July 2023 issue of The Quill. For reference, please click (https://barristerstitle.com/the-quill-july-2023/) to access the article written by Sarah Fuentes.

House Bill 422 (Session Law 2023-117), prohibiting “unfair real estate agreements”, was signed into law on August 24th. The Act also voids any such agreements that get recorded. They are not a lien on real property and the owner is not required to record a document voiding the agreement.

While the Act provides strong legal protection for homeowners and for the public real estate records, it is imperative to keep in mind that the Act is prospective and only affects agreements dated on and after August 24, 2023. Unfortunately, for those homeowners who signed agreements prior to the date the Act was enacted, the Act does not void these agreements.

If you have questions about whether an agreement recorded after the Act’s effective date should be reported on your title opinion, please do not hesitate to reach out to myself, Natasha Branch, or Sarah Fuentes. We are here to help!

Natasha N. Branch
Operations Manager and Title Counsel [email protected]

Sarah Fuentes
Underwriting Counsel
[email protected]

11/27/2023

ReelTime CLE Recap

Sending our sincerest THANK YOU to those who were able to join us for the ReelTime CLE at STIR Charlotte! You are the reason it was a success and we look forward to seeing you in person again soon! Enjoy a few pictures from the event!

11/22/2023

WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR YOU!

We're Stronger Together: Barristers Title Receives Named Grant Award from Earlier.org

On behalf of everyone at Barristers Title we want to THANK YOU for your continued support all year, but particularly during the month of October. Thanks to your October orders we are sending $3,574.00 to Earlier.org this year bringing Barristers' total donation through 2023 to $68,226.00! This would not have been possible without your orders!

This year at a beautiful Gathering of Friends dinner event, Barristers had the honor of receiving a Named Grant Award from Earlier.org. This honor is the most prestigious recognition that can be awarded by Earlier.org. It is a tribute to acknowledge service, loyalty, and support of this non-profit organization that demonstrates the pinnacle of commitment.

Over the course of more than a decade, Barristers Title has generated in excess of $40,000 for Earlier.org - this represents the equivalent of one full research grant! We are extremely proud of our partnership with Earlier.org and this worthy cause, but we could not have done any of it without YOU! So thank you from the bottom of our hearts. This is the best possible news we could deliver, especially during this wonderful season of gratitude.

The evening and presentation was one to remember and we had the privilege of hearing from several speakers, including keynote speaker DeAngelo Williams. His family's story is powerful and the organization he founded does incredible work in this field as well. Please click HERE to read more about The DeAngelo Williams Foundation and it's mission to eradicate breast cancer and provide support through preventative care and research.

Thank you again for all that you do, year after year, and know that we need, acknowledge and appreciate your continued support!

Breast cancer is not an option, earlier diagnosis is.

TURN YOUR RIBBON UPSIDE DOWN!!!

Named Grant presentation at the Gathering of Friends Dinner event, Thursday, October 12th, at the Grandover Resort. From left to right: Jennifer Conrad, Natasha Branch, Sal Balsamo, Martha Kaley - Founder, Earlier.org, Summer Hogan, Keairra McGuire.

11/21/2023

GET TO KNOW: Amy Champagne, Underwriter {A Day in the Life Edition}

1.Favorite Breakfast? Scrambled Eggs, Bacon and toast.

2.Coffee vs Tea? Definitely Coffee.

3.Do you prefer working from home or in an office? I prefer working from home but sometimes I like being at the office to be around my teammates.

4.Dinner at the table or on the couch? Dinner at the table unless there is a good movie on and then definitely on the couch.

5.What is your favorite dessert? Probably ice cream or banana pudding.

6.What are you currently watching? Mostly my computer screens but listening to the Quiet Place Movie.

7.If you had one free hour in your day, what would you do? Take a walk or play video games.

8.Are you a morning person or night owl? I am more of a morning person but that is mostly so I can enjoy a cup of coffee. I drink coffee at night sometimes but then it effects the next question.

9.What is your bedtime? I usually fall asleep in the middle of a movie around 9:00 but then make it to be by 10:30.

10.Tell us an interesting fact about yourself that we may not know. I have 5 grandsons and 1 granddaughter. I used to skydive and scuba dive when I was younger. My skydiving career (a whole 5 jumps) was cut short by a pretty hard hit to the ground but thank God my life wasn’t. I love roller coasters and visiting with my kids and grandkids but am always happy to come home. I also love survival video games and tend to play a little too much.

11/20/2023

Easy Crockpot Chili Recipe

We all know it's soup season and an easy chili recipe is a must! Throw this in the crockpot, set it and forget it.


Ingredients:

1 lb. ground turkey or beef, browned
1 small red onion, diced
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 14.5 oz. can water
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1 package chili seasoning
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon brown sugar (optional)
A few dashes of hot sauce to taste (optional

Instructions:

Brown meat with diced onions and drain. Add all ingredients into the crockpot. Set slow cooker on low for approximately 4-5 hours. Time will vary depending on the slow cooker but it should get to bubbling. Spoon into bowls and top with sour cream, shredded cheese and green onions. Serve with tortilla chips or cornbread.

Notes:

**Optional: About 20 minutes before serving stir in the brown sugar. The brown sugar doesn’t make the chili sweet but it cuts the smoky/salty flavor of the seasoning. To make the chili spicy add a few dashes of hot sauce.

**If you need it ready sooner, set crockpot to high and cook until bubbly and beans are tender.

10/31/2023

HAPPY HALLOWEEN from Barristers Title Services

10/19/2023

FRIENDLY REMINDER: Earlier.org + Barristers Title

For the entire month, we will donate a portion of each title order we receive to Earlier.org. The more orders we receive, the more money we donate, thereby allowing you to make an impact in the process.

With your assistance, Barristers has donated over $50,000 over the years to this amazing charity and we thank you in advance for giving us a Helping Hand this October.

Take a minute and click BELOW to read about their mission and to see how they play a role in early detection of this disease. https://earlier.org/mission/

10/06/2023

Go Pink This October With Barristers Title + Earlier.org

We're Stronger Together: OCTOBER is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. We are joining the fight and so can you!

As many of you are aware, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I venture to say that most of us have been touched by the specter of Breast Cancer in one shape or form in our lives. If not directly, almost every one of us has had a mother, grandmother, sister, aunt or friend impacted by the disease.

For the 10th year in a row, we at Barristers Title have decided to join the cause in bringing not only awareness but by making a donation. For the entire month of October we will donate a portion of each title Order that we receive from all of you. The more Orders we receive, the more money we will donate, thereby allowing you to make an impact in the process. All donations will go to Earlier.org.

Earlier.org is a North Carolina-based charity that focuses on finding a better and earlier detection method. (Many thanks to our friend John Overfield in Greensboro for introducing us to this worthy Organization.)

Please take a minute and click below to read about their mission and to see how they play a role in early detection of this disease. And for information on current research grants.

Breast cancer is not an option, earlier diagnosis is. TURN YOUR RIBBON UPSIDE DOWN!!!

https://earlier.org/

09/26/2023

THE QUILL ARTICLE: Odyssey: Meck County is Next!

Hear Ye! Hear Ye! The day we have been waiting for is coming to pass on October 9, 2023. Yes, Mecklenburg County will be joining the four pilot counties of Harnett, Johnston, Lee, and Wake on their migration to the new Odyssey system!

The AOC has had since February to work out some of the many frustrations and bugs in the new system and now it’s time for another one of the most populous counties in NC to join in. We’ve all heard stories of the problems with the initial migrations and praised the correct decision to delay Mecklenburg’s migration. Now, the AOC believes they’re ready to kick the Hornet’s Nest.

Improved search features and functionalities have been implemented, including wildcard searches, “against” searches, and advanced filters to better whittle down the results to a useable form number. Additionally, e-filing will be available for court filings. For those of you who would like a preview on how to use the new system, check out the NC Courts website for more information.

I’m hopeful this new system will lead us to faster and cleaner searches than the VCAP system we’ve all come to know. But I do recognize this hasn’t been the case so far. I want to give credit to the AOC for seeing the problems, listening to the practitioners, and improving the system. And, especially for delaying implementation on a wider scale until after they fixed some key issues.

Let us know what you think and if you’re excited about the migration to Odyssey, or if you think Mecklenburg will meet the same fate as the pilot counties in those early days. Time will tell!

Sarah Fuentes, Underwriting Counsel
[email protected]

The Mecklenburg County courts' transition to the Odyssey / Enterprise Justice platform, commonly known as eCourts, is the second track.

09/18/2023

LAST CALL FOR TOMORROW'S CLE! (click the link below to register)

JOIN US for our annual in-person CLE and Happy Hour tomorrow, September 19th!

Tuesday, September 19th, at STIR Charlotte
1422 S Tryon St Suite 130, Charlotte, NC 28203

1pm-2pm
"Effective Title Curative Strategies" presented by Natasha Branch and Sarah Fuentes, Barristers' Title Counsel
**1hr General Credit

2:15pm-4:15pm
"Is It Over Yet?" - The Duty of Competence is More than What You Think (Especially Now) presented by ReelTime
**1hr Ethics & 1hr Mental Health & Well Being Credit

Stay for drinks and heavy hors' doeuvres! Happy Hour from 4:30pm-6:30pm

A Fun and Engaging CLE and Happy Hour hosted by Barristers Title Services and ReelTime CLE