Orange County NC Website
N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services <br />N.C. ADFP Trust Fund <br />Closing Agent Requirements for Easement Programs <br /> <br />Approved 11/2021 <br />Eligible Entity/Grantee (name & address below): <br />_________________________________________ <br />_________________________________________ <br />______________, _____ _____ <br /> <br />The closing agent must: <br /> <br />1. Acknowledge that he or she has up-to-date knowledge of the General Statutes of North Carolina <br />pertaining to conducting real estate transactions and obtaining title clearance. <br /> <br />2. Certify that he or she is an attorney duly licensed to practice law in the State of North Carolina. <br /> <br />3. Certify that the title insurance company issuing the title commitment and final policy of title <br />insurance is approved by the North Carolina Insurance Commissioner. <br /> <br />4. Provide all Parties evidence of liability insurance coverage or indemnification in an amount equal <br />to or greater than the easement purchase value paid from State Funds for each NCADFPTF <br />easement. Further, closing agent agrees to provide reimbursement to NCAD&CS for any loss of <br />State funds caused by errors, omissions, fraud, dishonest, negligence, or failure by the attorneys, <br />agents or closing agent employees to comply with written closing instructions. <br />a. The American Land Title Association (ALTA) closing protection letter revised 4/2/2014 <br />is satisfactory to meet this condition of responsibility. <br /> <br />5. Certify that he or she will not close on an easement purchase for his or her spouse, children, <br />partners, or business associates, and that he or she does not have a financial interest in the real <br />estate to be covered by the proposed easement. <br /> <br />6. Upon approval of the Grantee’s submission of a Request for Payment form and an Easement <br />Closing Check Request form, the NCADFPTF will submit the required documentation to the <br />Grants and Contracts office to transmit the NCADFPTF portion of the purchase price for the <br />acquisition (i.e.; State funds). The Request for Payment form, Easement Closing Check Request <br />form, and all required documents must be submitted in one complete package to the NCADFPTF <br />no later than 30 days before the proposed closing dates. The funds will be sent by electronic fund <br />transfer (EFT) to closing agent’s escrow account. <br />a. Errors in the Grantee’s forms and documents, or outdated State of North Carolina <br />Substitute W-9 Form and State of North Carolina Vendor Electronic Payment Form for <br />the Grantee or Closing Agent may cause delays in the EFT. <br /> <br />7. Agree to close the easement transaction within 30 calendar days of receipt of the State funds. <br /> <br />8. Acknowledge that costs to clear title defects are the responsibility of the landowner. <br /> <br />9. Return the easement funds and any accrued interest in accordance with NCADFPTF instructions <br />if the conservation easement is not closed within 30 calendar days of receipt of the State funds. <br />DocuSign Envelope ID: 480AFBD4-654C-48FA-9CB8-F7C8D7E98DB2