Title Insurance
Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler's Title Insurance Review Task Force, an eight-member group he appointed in early 2007 to examine how title insurance works, evaluate its use in real estate transactions, and determine if title insurance consumers are being treated fairly, has completed its task.
The task force, representing a cross-section of the industry, including consumer representatives, has presented its report to Kreidler whose office now has it and its recommendations under review.
This page will be updated as new information develops. In addition, the page includes links to reports, news releases and other information related to title insurance.
Have a comment? Email us: TitleInsurance@oic.wa.gov.
The Insurance Commissioner’s interest in title insurance stems from a strong sense of consumer protection as well as recent developments in the title insurance market, including Washington’s participation in a multi-state investigation into marketing abuses involving large title companies at the national level. As a result of that investigation, Washington, along with New York, California and several other states, opened separate investigations into title insurance operations in their individual states. The links below provide information about those investigations and other title insurance-related matters.
Related links
Task Force members (PDF 57KB).
Title Insurance Review Task Force Report (September 2007) (PDF 669KB).
Title insurance fact sheet (October 2006) (PDF 68KB).
Title Insurance Report by the Office of the Insurance Commissioner (July 2007) (PDF 118KB).
An Investigation into the Use of Incentives and Inducements by Title Insurance Companies (October 2006). (PDF 870KB)
Technical Assistance Advisory (TAA) Clarifying requirements for title insurers and their agents (Nov. 21, 2006). (PDF 101KB) .
News releases
Proposed fines for title insurers total nearly $300,000 (Sept. 18, 2007).
Kreidler seeks nearly $2 million fine again Stewart Title (Aug. 27, 2007).
Title insurers fined for exceeding incentives limits (July 12, 2007).
Kreidler names Title Insurance Review Task Force (Dec. 18, 2006).
Technical assistance offered to counter title insurance abuses (Nov. 21, 2006).
Kreidler issues report of title insurance investigation (Oct. 16, 2006).
Washington joins national title insurance settlement (Nov. 11, 2005).
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