Bulletin: NY000672c

Dear Associates:

The purpose of this Bulletin is to modify Bulletins 672, 672a and 672b, which were issued because of the cyber incident reported by the Suffolk County Clerk’s Office on September 8, 2022, and provided that all transactions closing in Suffolk County required underwriter approval.

Requests for policy approval will still need to be submitted to insure any form of construction financing in Suffolk County, but policy-issuing agents need not submit requests for policy approval on other transactions so long as all of the following criteria are met:

1. The transaction is beneath the policy-issuing agent’s monetary threshold and does not contain any other extra-hazardous risks that would ordinarily necessitate underwriter approval for issuance of the policy.
2. The parties execute the Indemnity and Acknowledgment issued in connection with this series of bulletins (and linked below).
3. There are no involuntary liens (judgments, social services liens, etc.).
4. Policy-issuing agents must perform a litigation search on the New York State Courts e-filing web site at the following address: https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/nyscef/Login.  Any returns must be disclosed, and policy approval will be required at that point.
5. Policy-issuing agents must take duplicate originals of all recordable instruments.
6. Policy-issuing agents must ensure that all appropriate transfer and real estate tax can be paid to either Suffolk County or New York State (or other taxing authority, as appropriate).

As a reminder, you a responsible for knowledge and compliance with the information contained in all Bulletins and Special Alerts as posted on Virtual Underwriter (www.vuwriter.com), whether you receive them by electronic distribution or not.  In the event you have any questions regarding the above, please contact Stewart Title Legal Department at 212-922-0050 and speak with any Underwriting Counsel.

For on-line viewing of this and other bulletins, please log onto www.vuwriter.com. 

Forms: Indemnity and Acknowledgment