*Please note the shortened testing period for this change at the bottom of this announcement.
As previously announced in October, Docutech asked for feedback regarding the removal of witness lines from Florida documents since witness lines are not required on mortgages per Fla. Stat. Ann. § 695.26(1)(f) or leases per Fla. Stat. Ann. §689.01(1). Most respondents indicated they would rather have the Florida witness lines removed.
Docutech has removed the Florida witness lines by default, but clients who wish to continue printing Florida witness lines on most forms can do so by setting the following field to “Yes” by custom standard value field mapping:
Print Witness Lines on Security Instrument (FI 95509)
These existing optional fields are still available for clients who have elected to opt in to print Florida witness lines:
Witness 1 Full Name (FI 15416)
Witness 2 Full Name (FI 15417)
New Witness Addresses
Since Fla. Stat. Ann. § 695.26(1)(c) becomes effective January 1, 2024, a new witness address area has been added under the name of each witness that prints on standard recordable forms for clients who have opted in to print Florida witness lines. These new optional fields are now available to populate the witness addresses:
Witness 1 Security Instrument Address: Street (FI 187535)
Witness 1 Security Instrument Address: City (FI 187536)
Witness 1 Security Instrument Address: State (FI 187537)
Witness 1 Security Instrument Address: ZIP (FI 187538)
Witness 1 Security Instrument Address: Country (FI 187539)
Witness 2 Security Instrument Address: Street (FI 187540)
Witness 2 Security Instrument Address: City (FI 187541)
Witness 2 Security Instrument Address: State (FI 187542)
Witness 2 Security Instrument Address: ZIP (FI 187543)
Witness 2 Security Instrument Address: Country (FI 187544)
This address label still defaults to “Post Office Address” for Florida, and will be used for the new witness addresses as well:
Security Instrument Address Label Borrower (FI 150839)
The address label and witness address fields will print by default for clients who have elected to opt in to print Florida witness lines. The new indicator for the witness addresses defaults to “Yes” for Florida:
Print Witness Addresses on Security Instruments (FI 187534)
Affected Documents:
The Florida witness lines will no longer print by default on the following documents. Clients who wish to continue printing Florida witness lines on the following forms can do so by setting Print Witness Lines on Security Instrument to “Yes” by custom standard value field mapping:
Cx25288 – 3010 FL Mortgage 2021
Cx19367 – FHA FL Mortgage
Cx476 – FL Mortgage Second
Cx1383 – HELOC Mortgage – FL
Cx43 – Manufactured Home Affixation Affidavit
Cx22294 – HomeStyle Renovation Loan Rider
Cx22653 – FNMA Construction Loan Rider to Security Instrument
Cx22775 – Cooperative Pledge Agreement
Cx22776 – Cooperative Loan Recognition Agreement
Cx1701 – Loan Modification Agreement – Fixed
Cx4888 – Loan Modification Agreement – ARM
Cx10514 – Loan Modification Agreement – ARM
Cx10515 – Loan Modification Agreement – Fixed
The Florida witness lines will continue to print by default on these Florida housing agency forms, along with the new witness address areas. The second lien agency forms do not include the ability to remove the witness lines:
Cx26401 – FL Housing – 3010 FL Mortgage 2021
Cx19837 – FL Housing – FHA Mortgage
Cx13058 – FL Housing – Assist Second Mortgage
Cx15022 – Escambia – Subordinate Mortgage
Cx15503 – Miami-Dade – Subordinate Mortgage
These assignment of mortgage and assignment of lease forms will no longer print Florida witness lines:
Cx1558 – FL Assignment of Mortgage
Cx4315 – FL Assignment from MERS
Cx4457 – FL Assignment – INV BLANK
Cx4982 – Assignment of Lease – COOP
Cx22777 – Assignment of Proprietary Lease
*Testing and Deployment
These changes are available for a shortened testing period on Stage & Stage 2 servers and will take effect on January 1, 2024. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Client Support at 1.800.497.3584.
LEG-1382
DR-147536