The Real Estate Lawyers Association of North Carolina hosted its annual meeting on February 25, 2017, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at The Carolina Hotel at Pinehurst, 80 Carolina Vista Drive, Pinehurst, NC 28374.
The meeting opened with a business session in which budgets and financial reports were reviewed and the 2017 slate of officers presented. Chris Salyer will succeed Hunter Edwards as Chairman, followed by Mike Gorenflo as the incoming vice-chairperson. New board members are Casey Heim, Dan Portone and Veronica Colvard. Retiring board members are Ben Kuhn, past chair, Holden Reaves and Kim Coward.
Members also reviewed a PowerPoint summarizing the responses to the 2017 member survey. To a significant degree, the membership instructed leadership to stay on task and on mission, following the legislature for bills and issues which will affect individual and commercial real property owners and the attorneys who represent them. 100% of the respondents ranked that their top priority. A clear second priority and new responsibility for the chair and advocacy teams is to provide a monthly membership email with updates on legislative matters and our progress in these areas. If you have any doubt that your email is correct, please update BonnieBiggs@relanc.com with your new information, and also please update your NC State Bar record, at http://www.ncbar.gov, as we use that information to update our records periodically. Membership is still eager to receive quarterly newsletters and occasional relevant CLE, but actively chose not to ask for member affinity programs or general CLE.
The one-day event featured a keynote legislative panel discussion with Representatives Duane Hall, Darren G. Jackson, and David R. Lewis, moderated by Jim Harrell, who also provided his annual legislative update, presenting matters relevant to our membership. We are delighted to have these special guest panelists, and had a lively, interesting discussion across a wide range of topics of interest to all of us.
Representatives Hall and Jackson are real estate attorneys licensed in North Carolina, and Representative Lewis was most recently Chairman of the House Rules, Calendar, and Operations Committee. Rep. Hall’s bio is on his firm’s web page at this link, and Rep. Jackson’s bio can be found on his firm’s web page at this link. Representative Lewis’ web site provides additional background.
Another presentation addressed the Electronic Notarization Program, with discussion led by Nancy Ferguson of Chicago Title, using information provided by Ozie H. Stallworth, Electronic Notarization Director, in the NC Secretary of State’s office. Paul “Skip” Stam also provided information regarding what Map Act property owners, and you as their attorneys, should know about inverse condemnation and usual condemnation. The meeting concluded with a presentation by Troy Crawford of Lawyers Mutual, covering the required trust accounting instructional materials and providing one hour of Ethics CLE to participants.
Thanks to all who attended this productive and informative meeting.