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2008 Association News

Prior Year News:   2003   2004   2005   2006   2007

Please send anything you want posted here to the Webmaster.  Updated 08/21/08

• 8/21/08 from Jamie Crocket - New email address
• 7/14/08 from Gene Gowens - Company change update
• 7/4/08 from Leola Harris - Mother passed away
• 7/1/08 from Gene Gowens - Company change
• 5/14/08 from Bob Sagel - Thank you
• 4/28/08 from Bob Sagel - Foreclosure training videos
• 4/28/08 from Connie Trujillo - New email address
• 4/17/08 from Lynne Bauer - Ordway fire
• 3/26/08 from Peggy Kern - New email address
• 2/5/08 from Governor Ritter's Office - New El Paso County Public Trustee

• 8/21/08 from Jamie Crocket

Please update your records with the following change of email address for Jackson County:
 
jctreasurerandpt@hotmail.com
 
Thanks,  
Jamie Crocket
Jackson County Treasurer and Public Trustee

• 7/14/08 from Gene Gowens

Dear County Officials:
     This letter is a follow-up to the previous communication regarding the closure of the Denver Area Service Center.  I want to provide you with an update on the changes in our organization that directly impact your interaction with First American. Effective July 28^th, the Denver & Dallas Area Service Center consolidation will be complete. While First American will no longer have a physical office in Denver, the majority of the Denver ASC personnel are still in place to meet your needs.  To better service requests for minor payment issues, tax id errors and mortgage company issues, we ask that you direct inquiries to the combined Client Relations Team at the following email address: 
REIS-RE-DFW01.ASC19CustomerService@firstam.com .  The address, phone, & fax information for these types of inquires will be:

First American Real Estate Tax Service
Attn: Dallas Area Service Center Client Relations Team
1 First American Way, DFW 4-5
Westlake, TX  76262
Toll Free Phone 800-225-4707
Toll Free Fax 800-451-6091

      I will remain your primary contact, for the larger issues, automated file exchange, etc.  I will be working in a home-office arrangement, as of July 28^th, and you can reach me via the following contact information:

Email:  ggowens@firstam.com
E-Fax: 817-826-1395
Local Phone Number: 303-632-7419
Toll Free Phone: 866-640-8457.

Below are some important addresses that have not changed:

All tax bills & listings, for the remittance of payments, should still be mailed to, unless otherwise noted on the letter sent with the request:

First American Real Estate Tax Service
Escrow Reporting Dept DFW 4-3
1 First American Way
Westlake, TX 76262

All refunds should continue to be directed to:

Refund Dept - FA
First American R/E Tax Service
PO Box 961250
Ft. Worth, TX 76161-0250 

      As always, please contact me for any questions or problems that arise.  My job is to make sure each tax collection cycle goes as smoothly & efficiently as possible, in order to meet the needs of everyone involved.  Thank you for your cooperation and assistance in this matter. It is, and always will be, a pleasure working with you.

Gene Gowens, Agency Relations/Automation Specialist

• 7/4/08 from Leola Harris

Just so you know I lost my Mother on June 12th. She was 91 years old. So I have been in Texas. 

• 7/1/08 from Gene Gowens

Dear County Officials:
     As First American continues to expand the array of services we offer, our Board of Directors has determined that it is in the best interest of the information services companies to operate separately from the title and insurance companies.  By the end of 2008 the title & insurance companies will spin off into a new organization, but will continue to carry the “First American” name and eagle logo.
     First American Real Estate Tax Service, along with the other remaining information services companies will take on a fresh company name, logo, & email addresses.  As naming decisions and changes occur, you will receive additional communications informing you of all the changes.
     Additionally, First American has reached the difficult conclusion that some of our field offices are no longer needed or cost effective.  We will be consolidating operations and processes to better serve the needs of our customers, which include all county officials.  Unfortunately, one of the offices selected for consolidation is the Denver Service Center.  We are in the process of rolling our operations into our Dallas Area Service Center.  Many, if not all of the associates you have developed relationships with, over the past many years, will continue to function in their present roles, while working from a home office arrangement.  This will include me, as your Agency Relations point of contact.  I will be sending a follow-up letter to provide additional details such as address & contact information as the process moves along. 
     As always, please contact me for any questions or problems that arise.  Thank you. It is, and always will be, a pleasure working with you.
Gene Gowens, Agency Relations/Automation Specialist
ggowens@firstam.com, 800-899-4829 Ext 6790

• 5/14/08 from Bob Sagel

My shoulder surgery went well.  Thank you for the flowers and cards.

• 4/28/08 from Bob Sagel

Links to the foreclosure training videos taken in Brighton last November are on the Public Trustee General Information page.

• 4/28/08 from Connie Trujillo

I have an new email address.  It's ctrujillo@saguachecounty-co.gov. 

• 4/17/08 from Lynne Bauer

First a thank you for everyone’s prayers. 

I returned this am from touring the county with the Assessor, Building Inspector and Health Dept. This fire took a bizarre path, destroying and sparing at random. I truly thank God I was one spared. We viewed over 25 homes and a multitude of outbuildings that are smoldering ashes. That may not sound like many, but this is a small county and it is significant. Grass land, vast acres of it burned, then skipped and burned again. Power poles and trees were dangerously dangling. As devastating as it is, it could have been much worse.

Thanks is a small word for the various counties fire departments that helped as well as the various agencies sent in to assist.

We were without power and anticipated being without for days. Amazingly, we had power in some areas the next day. Several power companies came replacing poles and lines and work day and night. There is much to be done, but much is being done almost non stop.

I look forward to seeing everyone at Conference.

• 3/26/08 from Peggy Kern

• 2/5/08 from Governor Ritter's Office

He earned a B.S. degree in electrical engineering and a B.A. in government, both from the University of Notre Dame; a master’s degree in international affairs from the University of Dayton; and a Ph.D in political science from Ohio State University.