Updated **9/1/20**
Monarch Title would like to thank each of our customers for being flexible during this COVID pandemic by working with us to conduct closings curbside. We know it isn’t the most ideal situation but it has provided us the ability to ensure your safety and our staff. We are continuously looking at our process and policy during this pandemic and we feel it will be best to continue the closings curbside through October. We know winter is coming so we will have to accommodate inside closings, we will want to keep the number of people attending a closing to a minimum by closing with the buyers and sellers in a separate closing room. Thank you for cooperating with us during this challenging time and we appreciate your business.
Updated **4/8/20**
Governor Mike Parson issued the following executive order to allow remote on line notarization and e-signing of closing documents using audio/video technology. Monarch Title Company is working on the policies and procedures to allow us to meet the guidelines listed below. We will continue to keep you advised of progress, this is a great tool not only for the immediate situation but going forward to make our closing business more efficient for our customers.
**Updated 3/25/20**
a) Several Missouri counties are closed to the public, some are allowing us in to search, some have online access, and some are closing altogether. We monitor this on a daily basis.
b) Boone County, and almost all other counties in Missouri, have e-recording capabilities. We are e-recording in all Missouri counties that allow it until they re-open. We Overnight in the counties that do not allow e-recording, as they are still able to accept mail.
c) We have documents that will need to be signed by the customers to allow us to close on the gap.
Please let us know if you have any additional questions as we navigate through these situations.
Original post 3/24/20
The Director of the Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services just issued Stay at Home Orders for the City of Columbia and Boone County (City Stay at Home Order …Boone County Stay at Home Order) to go into effect at 8:00 a.m. tomorrow, March 25th and end at 8:00 a.m. on April 24th (these orders can be superseded or extended at any time). The Orders for the City and County are essentially the same Order, but differ in Section 4.02 Enforcement. According to the orders, “non-essential business and operations must cease” unless deemed an essential business. The following are listed as “essential business” that are related to the real estate industry and can continue to operate under the Orders.
F. “Essential Businesses” means, with the exception of Disqualified Businesses, the following:…
10. banks, financial institutions, broker-dealers, asset managers, businesses that process payroll for any other business, and businesses that process financial transactions and services;…
14. plumbers, electricians, exterminators, and other service providers who provide services that are necessary to maintaining the safety, sanitation, communication, and essential operations of Residences, Healthcare Operations, Essential Critical Infrastructure, Essential Government Services, Essential Activities, or other Essential Businesses;
15. businesses that perform construction services;…
35. professional services, such as legal services, accounting services, insurance services, real estate services (including appraisal, mortgage and title services) or financial services, when necessary to assist in compliance with legally mandated activities or to assist a person in the exercise of constitutional rights, including but not limited to services required by a court order, a court rule, a fiduciary duty, a duty to the person’s client, or an ethical obligation;
You are permitted to leave your home to perform essential activities which include items related to “specifically related to health and safety, the procurement of necessary supplies and services, for outdoor activity, for certain types of work and to care for others. When engaging in any outdoor activity, individuals must comply with Social Distancing Requirements.”
Monarch Title Company policies in regards to this order are as follows:
Each of you, as our valued customers, are extremely important to our business. We want to assure you we are doing everything possible to make sure we are maintaining a safe and healthy environment in our offices and during a closing, including staff working from home to limit exposure. We realize the importance each of you play in the real estate transaction and want you to know the following list of policies will help us make sure we can still provide excellent customer service while protecting each of us during these difficult times.
Monarch Title will implement the following policies for all closings in each of our offices:
- Our lobbies are closed and kept locked and we will only meet by appointment.
- We are requesting that only people that need to sign closing documents attend a closing. When a closing is scheduled and you are not attending, be available for a phone call if needed.
- We will do ‘street’ closings where the customer can drive up and one of our staff will walk out and present the documents for signature, we have used this method already and it works well.
- We are practicing social distancing staying at least 6’ from each other.
- We will provide hand sanitizer or wipes, we wipe down each closing room after a closing is complete.
- Pens used for signing documents will not be re-used after a closing is complete.
- We will split closing between buyer and seller when feasible.
- We encourage customers to pre-sign documents to help reduce the number of closings, this can be done remotely or curb side service outside our office.
- We will offer extended hours as required to meet our customer’s needs.
- We will be offering on line e-closings for documents that do not need to be notarized.
- We will be emailing signed documents to our customers after the closing, this will facilitate less time in our offices, customers will sign all documents necessary and leave as soon as possible.
- If you don’t feel well, cough, sneezing, fever, shortness of breath, please reschedule the closing.
If you have any questions, please email us at closer@monarchtitle.com or call 573-441-0725. We are happy to help!