MICKAEL (MICK) LLOYD LEE

My introduction to the Title Industry: In 1981 I went to work for an abstract company in Caddo County It was here that I spent my morning in the vault with the tract books I learned how to index all of the various instruments that were recorded daily in a County Clerk's office This was also where I received firsthand instruction on legal descriptions Learning hor wo track metes and bounds, alloquats, etc This was an invaluable experience in my life My afternoons were spent with my mentor and teacher learning about title searches, abstracts, and exactly how to compile an abstract Many times I thought the pace was too fast, but my mentor pushed me T his proved to be a blessing All of this was going on during the period of time that was often referred to as the "Oil Boom" in Oklahoma I learned how to do mineral ownerships, as well as surface ownerships Today, I would not trade my oil and gas experience for anything! In 1985, I was abstracting next door to two of the best title attorneys in the state of Oklahoma They finished their respective careers at 50 years each During this time they gave me invaluable instruction from the title examiners viewpoint At this time I learned what a title examiner expected and how to provide it This allowed me to get familiar with title standards as well as the different title statues in Oklahoma My knowledge from this experience grew even more Not many, in fact, very few abstractors get this type of "hands on" tutoring I knew it then, and over the years, I have come to appreciate it even more These two attorneys eventually retired in 2010 However, one still makes sure to provide me with a current copy of the Oklahoma Bar Associations Title Standards Handbook each year These two attorneys also taught me a lot about court cases and how they relate to the abstracting process Upon graduating from Oklahoma State University in 1980, I went to work for a Federal Savings and Loan Six months later, I went into the Closing Processors position and three months later was a very busy Loan Officer at the lending institution This led to my understanding the closing and settlement statements, as well as the disbursement process This was all taken into my career as a licensed and professional abstractor in Oklahoma