Posted by CARID on 8/22/07 9:41pm
Msg #207125

Do you know what color ink your state requires ?

I have a closing set up and in the instructions a list of every state with the color of ink required. I have closed loans with black and blue ink for years. Depending on the company requirements.

Reply by Monica Valle-Cavero on 8/22/07 9:46pm
Msg #207127

For settlements I always use blue. Every TC I work with requires or requests it. In fact, I gave all my black ink pens to a boys and girls club in D.C. along w/ some other things. Blue ink has always been easier for me to read so I happy about it. : )

Reply by CARID on 8/22/07 9:50pm
Msg #207132

According to the instructions I have received all states are

Blue except the following Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, New York and Wisconsin these states are Black. HUMMMM

Reply by MikeC/NY on 8/22/07 10:22pm
Msg #207136

Re: According to the instructions I have received all states

<<Blue except the following Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, New York and Wisconsin these states are Black>>

The only state-wide requirement in NY is that the notary info (stamped or hand-printed) must be in black ink. Signatures can be in any color, unless the county recorder says otherwise.

The two counties I service here on Long Island PREFER black, but do not require it (there are two more counties on LI that are part of NYC - I'm not sure whether NYC has any requirements). I generally use black, but I always check the lender's instructions to see what the color du jour is - I often see the same lender requiring blue ink on one loan and black on another.

Reply by christiSocal on 8/22/07 11:14pm
Msg #207149

90% of the time Calif needs black. n/m

Reply by MikeC/NY on 8/22/07 11:34pm
Msg #207154

And the other 10%? n/m

Reply by jba/fl on 8/22/07 11:55pm
Msg #207155

Red, since the loan doesn't fund? LOL n/m

Reply by christiSocal on 8/23/07 12:09am
Msg #207157

9% blue, 1% glitter ink ;-) n/m

Reply by John_NorCal on 8/22/07 11:59pm
Msg #207156

Re: 90% of the time Calif needs black. I haven't...

had any problems with recordable documents signed in black or blue ink, and to my knowledge our notary stamps have to be in black ink. From what I have been told the courts will require blue ink for any signed document presented to the court, at least in San Francisco and San Mateo counties.

Reply by Barb25 on 8/23/07 1:48pm
Msg #207259

Re: According to the instructions I have received all states

Unless there has been some change in the past few months: Suffolk Country requires not prefers black ink to record a mortgage.

Reply by Barb25 on 8/23/07 2:03pm
Msg #207266

BLACK Ink required in Suffolk County, NY

http://www.co.suffolk.ny.us/webtemp3.cfm?dept=33&id=1140

Read last sentence below from the website above.

Suffolk County Clerk's Office
Judith A. Pascale
Suffolk County Clerk


Recording A Mortgage



The return box on the recording and endorsement page, must be properly completed for the timely return of your recorded mortgage.

FEES
$ 3.00 PER SIDE
$ 5.00 HANDLING
$ 5.00 COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION FEE
$15.00 CULTURAL EDUCATION FUND

PLUS REAL PROPERTY VERIFICATION FEE*



* A Real Property Tax Service Agency Verification Fee of $30.00 for the first lot and $20.00 for every lot there after to maximum of $1400.00
Mortgage Tax is computed by a formula based on 1.05% of the amount of the mortgage. If mortgage amount is less than $10,000.00, mortgage tax is figured at three-quarters percent. A $30.00 exemption applies if a mortgage qualifies for and contains the following statement: "The premises is or will be improved by a 1 or 2 family dwelling only." Cash or certified check payable to the Suffolk County Clerk is required for payment of taxes.


A mortgage, or portion thereof, that is illegible or not suited for imaging/filming will be rejected. The entire document should be in black print and ink. Blue or other color ink is unacceptable.

Reply by MikeC/NY on 8/23/07 7:51pm
Msg #207326

Re: BLACK Ink required in Suffolk County, NY

I've done most of my signings in Suffolk County (which is where I live), and have had more than a few where the requirement from the lender/TC was blue ink - none were rejected, as far as I know. Unless told otherwise, I always use black.

Reply by Barb25 on 8/23/07 11:32pm
Msg #207381

Re: BLACK Ink required in Suffolk County, NY

You were lucky then. I live in Suffolk also. Recently I had a mortgage rejected because the loose acknowledgment I used was a half page 8 1/2 x 5 1/2.(purchased from NNA to boot). The county tells me that acknowledgment must be a minimum 8 1/2 x 11 sheet. I must have sent a dozen like that and nothing happened. Somebody must have been taping the previous ones to a 8 1/2 x 11 sheet, I guess. That is permitted. Anyhow, all you need is one person at the recording office to decide to enforce the regulations. Whenever I have told the title co requesting blue ink that Suffolk requires black, they say use black.... Mortgage goes to county anyhow.

Reply by MikeC/NY on 8/24/07 1:25pm
Msg #207511

Loose acks

I have the same loose acks from NNA. Someone in Florida complained about the size, so I scanned one and printed out copies on both letter and legal size paper - carry a supply of both sizes in my briefcase.

Where in Suffolk are you? I'm in Deer Park.

Reply by Barb25 on 8/24/07 1:50pm
Msg #207516

Re: Loose acks n/m

Reply by dickb/wi on 8/23/07 1:52pm
Msg #207262

if you do recordable docs in blue for a wi closing the......

regiter of deeds will reject it.......

Reply by Julie/MI on 8/23/07 7:47am
Msg #207168

I use blue in Michigan

I always use blue so I can see if a signature was missed. You can even have one borrower use blue and the other use black and it will still record.

When I close in-house for a title company, they have blue pens all over the place.

Some counties just want the printed info, such as the date, in black, but if I had a lot of idle time i would fight that, because it's not how the law is written, just the corporation counsel's wrong interpertation.

Reply by MichiganAl on 8/23/07 8:04am
Msg #207171

Re: I use blue in Michigan

I agree Julie. The way some counties interpret it just makes me shake my head. But on anything that's recordable, I print in black. Other than that, I just follow the lender or t.c. instructions.

Reply by CARID on 8/23/07 8:11am
Msg #207174

Re: I use blue in Missouri

and always have. This is the first time I have had a company in the closing instructions give a list of what they say each state requires. I have closed thousands of loans. I have never had anyone return the deed because it was not signed in black. I did look up Missouri state requirements. All I could fine was that the recordable document was to be signed in black or dark ink. The document was dated 2003. The company I am working for did say this was a new change ?

Reply by BetsyMI on 8/23/07 9:06am
Msg #207194

Black or 'dark' ink?????? n/m

Reply by MikeC/NY on 8/23/07 8:12pm
Msg #207329

Re: Black or 'dark' ink??????

OK, I'm dating myself here, but there is (was?) an ink called blue/black which I think is (was?) only available for fountain pens (those of us of a certain age may remember using fountain pens in school...). I've never seen a ballpoint pen that offers that color. The only way to describe it is that it's a very dark blue - not quite black, but not at all what we think of as blue ink.

I recall reading something a while ago from Victoria Ring stating that if the instructions called for "blue/black ink", you had to use that particular color ink. A more reasonable reading of that would be "blue OR black ink", but what the heck do I know - she's the one selling books....

Reply by BarbaraL_CA on 8/23/07 1:34pm
Msg #207254

I always sign in blue unless stated otherwise...

never has been a problem.

Reply by GLRMbile on 8/23/07 1:44pm
Msg #207258

Countrywide and Quicken in blue n/m

Reply by MikeC/NY on 8/23/07 7:46pm
Msg #207325

Not always...

I've done a bunch of CW loans for one client, and each time I have to check to see what color ink they want - sometimes blue, sometimes black. It got to the point where I thought they were doing it just to see if I was paying attention.

Blue ink makes more sense, since you can immediately tell the original from a copy, but ours not to reason why... I just keep a supply of both in my briefcase.