PERMANENT RULES
INSURANCE COMMISSIONER
Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing.
Purpose: RCW 48.29.015 requires that title insurance agents file an annual report with the insurance commissioner setting forth the name and address of those persons who have a financial interest in the title insurance agent during the year. In addition the report must included [include] the percent of title orders originating from each of those persons who own a financial interest in the title insurance agent. These rules establish the information that must be included in the report, the procedures for filing the report, the procedures for reporting the sources of title orders received, and record-keeping requirements related to the reporting procedures.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 48.02.060, 48.29.005.
Other Authority: RCW 48.29.015.
Adopted under notice filed as WSR 09-14-039 on June 24, 2009.
A final cost-benefit analysis is available by contacting Kacy Scott, P.O. Box 40258, Olympia, WA 98504-0258, phone (360) 725-7041, fax (360) 586-3109, e-mail kacys@oic.wa.gov.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 7, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 7, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 7, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Date Adopted: October 5, 2009.
Mike Kreidler
Insurance Commissioner
OTS-2065.5
TITLE INSURANCE
(1) An "affiliate" of, or person "affiliated" with a title insurance agent is a person who directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, or is controlled by, or is under common control with, the person specified.
(2) "Associates of producers" has the meaning as set forth in RCW 48.29.010 (3)(f).
(3) "Financial interest" has the meaning as set forth in RCW 48.29.010 (3)(d).
(4) "Person" has the meaning as set forth in RCW 48.01.070.
(5) "Producers of title insurance business or producer" has the meaning as set forth in RCW 48.29.010 (3)(e) and also includes associate of producers as set forth in RCW 48.29.010 (3)(f).
(6) "Report of affiliated business ownership" means a report required by RCW 48.29.015 setting forth the name, address, and percent of title orders originating from those persons who have had a financial interest in a title insurance agent.
(7) "Title insurance agent" has the meaning as set forth in RCW 48.17.010(15).
(8) "Title order" has the same meaning as "preliminary report," "commitment," or "binder" as set forth in RCW 48.29.010 (3)(c) and also includes "title policy" as set forth in RCW 48.29.010 (3)(a).
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(2) If a title insurance agent is wholly owned through one or more intermediaries of a company traded on a national stock exchange, then the title insurance agent is not required to file the title insurance agent report of affiliated business ownership.
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(2) If there is any change or addition to the ownership information contained in the annual report, then the title insurance agent must file an amended report with the commissioner within fifteen days after the end of the month in which the title insurance agent learns of the change or addition.
(3) Changes to the information regarding the percent of title orders originating from each of the producers do not need to be filed with the commissioner except with the annual filing. If the title insurance agent discovers or reasonably should have discovered that the information contained in the annual filing was not correct, then the title insurance agent must file an amended report within fifteen days after the end of the month in which the title insurance agent discovered the incorrect information.
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(2) In reporting producers who have a financial interest in the title insurance agent, the information about the producer must be sufficient to properly identify the person who is directly in a position to refer or influence the referral of title insurance business to the title insurance agent.
(3) If a producer owns the financial interest in the title insurance agent through one or more intermediary entities, then the identity of the producer and the identity of other entities that the producer owns a controlling interest in that are producers must be set forth in the report. For example, if Henry Smith and Frank Jones own an interest in Joint Venture Co., and Joint Venture Co. has a financial interest in the title insurance agent, then Henry Smith and Frank Jones must be identified in the report as producers who have a financial interest in the title insurance agent, in addition to reporting other entities who are producers that are owned by Henry Smith and Frank Jones.
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(1) If a title insurance agent receives a title order in which the seller is XYZ Home Builders Inc., owned by John Brown who has a financial interest in the title insurance agent, then it may be assumed that the source of the title order was John Brown (XYZ Home Builders, Inc.) even though the title order may have been directly received from another person.
(2) If the title insurance agent receives a title order from a producer with a financial interest in the title insurance agent held through one or more intermediary entities, then the specific producer must be identified as the source of the title order. For example, Henry Smith and Frank Jones own an interest in Joint Venture Co., and Joint Venture Co. directly holds the financial interest in the title insurance agent. Henry Smith must be reported as the source of the title insurance business for title orders received from Henry Smith. Likewise, Frank Jones must be reported as the source of title insurance business of orders received from Frank Jones. The amount of business received from both Henry Smith and Frank Jones may not be aggregated and reported as being from Joint Venture Co.
(3) If a title insurance agent receives an order in its escrow department from ABC Realty Co. (owned by John Brown who also has a financial interest in the title insurance agent), and the escrow department then places the title order with the title department of the title insurance agent, then the title insurance agent must report the source of the title order as being ABC Realty Inc.
(4) If the title insurance agent handling the transaction, either through its title department or its escrow department, or both, has information that ABC Realty Inc. (owned by John Brown who has a financial interest in the title insurance agent) is one of the real estate companies involved in the transaction, then it must be assumed that ABC Realty Inc. was the source of the title order unless the title insurance agent has sufficient evidence that the title order was referred to the title insurance agent by another producer.
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(2) A title insurance agent must keep and maintain records of its title orders sufficient to identify the source of the title orders.
(3) The records required by WAC 284-29-100 through 284-29-160 must be kept by the title insurance agent for a period of three years after the end of the year being reported upon.
(4) All records of a title insurance agent kept pursuant to WAC 284-29-100 through 284-29-160 must be available to the commissioner or the commissioner's representative during regular business hours.
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