Who remembers back when the Russian/Ukrainean conflict over Crimea really came to a head?

“Woah, woah, let’s not get political here, Bailee. This blog is supposed to be about title!” Oh, I certainly won’t be offering any opinions on the Crimean occupation, but it is a fantastic example of today’s Title Tidbit: Irredentism.

Irredentism’s etymological roots can be traced back to the Italian word, “irredento,” meaning “unredeemed.” The term was popularized by a 1800s Italian political movement in which Italian political leaders sought to claim Swiss and Austrio-Hungarian occupied lands of which the population was largely Italian-speaking. By reclaiming these lands for Italy, Italian political leaders believe the lands could become “redeemed.”

Today, many consider lands claimed by irredentist means to be those denoted by the term, “Greater X,” with X being the name of the occupying body. Examples include Greater Serbia, or on a continental scale, Greater Europe.

So what’s the difference between irredentism and secession? Irredentism implies the absorption or merging of part of one country with another, whereas secession neither implies nor includes a merging. Irredentism typically implies/invokes an ethnic and/or territorial conflict as it involves one governing body/country taking land from another. What links the subordinate/merging body to the larger body is typically a common ethnic/religious/lingual/historical background (usually all four) which gives the larger body a perception of legitimate claim to said land. The subordinate land was generally once part of the larger body but was separated at some point in history by war, trade agreements, or other such events.

The example of irredentism that is perhaps the most ingrained in the minds of modern citizens of all nations across the globe is Nazi Germain’s irredentist claim to Czechoslovakia’s Sudetenland, the German occupation of which in 1938 marked a major turning point in World War II. German nationalists cited the primary source of their claim to the Sudetenland’s legitimacy as being the large ethnically German population residing in the area. While Germany’s claim to the Sudetenland may have had some legitimacy (at least in the opinion of the leaders who granted Germany occupation of the same in the 1938 Munich Pact–although, it was more likely they just wanted to avoid another world war), it wasn’t enough to appease German Nationalists, who later invaded the rest of Czechoslovakia just six months after the Munich Pact was signed.

What does irredentism have to do with title? While irredentist movements may not be directly linked to title insurance, the concept is the same. The purpose of title insurance is to protect a buyer’s claim to their new property from people who may have had historical or familial claims to the property. Through thorough research, we at Turner Title meticulously clear all potential claims to your property so that you can rest easy knowing your home won’t soon become “Greater Long-Lost Cousin’s.” That’s it for this week’s Title Tidbit! We’ll see you again next time!

December is known for being a month of many celebrations: Christmas, the New Year, and a new venture! We are proud to share that Turner Title is officially one year old as of today!

What a year to get started, am I right? Despite state-wide shutdowns, procedural changes, and a new normal, Turner Title has been going strong, closing over $450 million in its first year, growing from a one-woman operation to a team of six, and conducting superb real estate transactions across the state: from Broward to Hillsborough to North Florida to right here in Pinellas County! And we’re not done yet, folks!

We’ve been at the forefront of change in our industry–adapting with the times and providing new and convenient (and also FREE) tools for our clientele.

• We’ve implemented a free net-sheet calculator on our website that allows for agents to create a profile that pre-populates their standard commissions/fees as well as generate and send co-branded PDFs directly to their buyers and sellers from their phone, computer, or tablet.
• We’ve invested in a free app called ZOCCAM, which allows agents and/or buyers to deposit their Earnest Money with a SNAP–just by taking a picture of a check! They can also upload contracts and addenda along with their deposits. No more trips to the title office or walking buyers through their first wire transfer!
• We’ve hand-picked a group of proven and trustworthy mobile notaries across the state and the country that we utilize to make our closings flexible and fast!
• We’ve invested in a membership with Regis offices so that our clients are able to close at any of thousands of locations across the state of Florida if they so desire!
• We share informational blogs on our Turner Title Website weekly that are FULL of information about title, real estate, loans, insurance, and more as a free resource for YOU!
• We’ve employed the services of an on-staff real estate attorney as another resource for our clients to assist with more complicated transactions.

And so much more! How can we sum up a year’s worth of achievements in just a few paragraphs? It’s impossible, but we couldn’t have done it all without YOU!

Thank YOU for making our first year of business one for the books!