In determining the
financial condition of a title insurer doing business under this
title, the general provisions of chapter 48.12 RCW requiring the
establishment of reserves sufficient to cover all known and
unknown liabilities including allocated and unallocated loss
adjustment expense apply, except that a title insurer shall
establish and maintain:
(1) A known claim reserve in an amount estimated to be
sufficient to cover all unpaid losses, claims, and allocated loss
adjustment expenses arising under title insurance policies,
guaranteed certificates of title, guaranteed searches, and
guaranteed abstracts of title, and all unpaid losses, claims, and
allocated loss adjustment expenses for which the title insurer
may be liable, and for which the insurer has received notice by
or on behalf of the insured, holder of a guarantee or escrow, or
security depositor;
(2)(a) A statutory or unearned premium reserve consisting
of:
(i) The amount of the special reserve fund that was required
prior to July 24, 2005, which balance must be released in
accordance with (b) of this subsection; and
(ii) Additions to the reserve after July 24, 2005, must be
made out of total charges for title insurance policies and
guarantees written, as set forth in the title insurer's most
recent annual statement on file with the commissioner, equal to
the sum of the following:
(A) For each title insurance policy on a single risk written
or assumed after July 24, 2005, fifteen cents per one thousand
dollars of net retained liability for policies under five hundred
thousand dollars; and
(B) For each title insurance policy on a single risk written
or assumed after July 24, 2005, ten cents per one thousand
dollars of net retained liability for policies of five hundred
thousand or greater.
(b) The aggregate of the amounts set aside in this reserve
in any calendar year pursuant to (a) of this subsection must be
released from the reserve and restored to net profits over a
period of twenty years under the following formula:
(i) Thirty-five percent of the aggregate sum on July 1st of
the year next succeeding the year of addition;
(ii) Fifteen percent of the aggregate sum on July 1st of
each of the succeeding two years;
(iii) Ten percent of the aggregate sum on July 1st of the
next succeeding year;
(iv) Three percent of the aggregate sum on July 1st of each
of the next three succeeding years;
(v) Two percent of the aggregate sum on July 1st of each of
the next three succeeding years; and
(vi) One percent of the aggregate sum on July 1st of each of
the next succeeding ten years.
(c) The insurer shall calculate an adjusted statutory
unearned premium reserve as of July 24, 2005. The adjusted
reserve is calculated as if (a)(ii) and (b) of this subsection
had been in effect for all years beginning twenty years prior to
July 24, 2005. For purposes of this calculation, the balance of
the reserve as of that date is deemed to be zero. If the
adjusted reserve so calculated exceeds the aggregate amount set
aside for statutory or unearned premiums in the insurer's annual
statement on file with the commissioner on July 24, 2005, the
insurer shall, out of total charges for policies of title
insurance, increase its statutory or unearned premium reserve by
an amount equal to one-sixth of that excess in each of the
succeeding six years, commencing with the calendar year that
includes July 24, 2005, until the entire excess has been added.
(d) The aggregate of the amounts set aside in this reserve
in any calendar year as adjustments to the insurer's statutory or
unearned premium reserve under (c) of this subsection shall be
released from the reserve and restored to net profits, or equity
if the additions required by (c) of this subsection reduced
equity directly, over a period not exceeding ten years under to
the [under the] following table:
| Year of Addition | Release |
| Year 11 | Equally over 10 years |
| Year 2 | Equally over 9 years |
| Year 3 | Equally over 8 years |
| Year 4 | Equally over 7 years |
| Year 5 | Equally over 6 years |
| Year 6 | Equally over 5 years |
[2005 c 223 § 16; 1947 c 79 § .29.12; Rem. Supp. 1947 § 45.29.12.]