Article 2. Title Insurers; Capital And Guarantee Fund Requirements of California Insurance Code >> Division 2. >> Part 6. >> Chapter 1. >> Article 2.

Every title insurer, before issuing any policy, shall deposit $100,000 with the Insurance Commissioner or other designated official of its home State as a "guarantee fund" for the security and protection of the holders of, or beneficiaries under, its title policies.

Any such deposit may be made either in lawful money of the United States or in any of the securities, other than collateral trust bonds or notes, authorized for investment, other than excess funds investments, of all the assets of domestic incorporated insurers.

If the deposit is made in this state, it shall first be approved by the commissioner who shall make a special deposit thereof in the State Treasury, for the purpose specified in Section 12350. The Treasurer shall give his or her receipt therefor, to the commissioner.

Except as provided in section 12355, assets in such deposits in this State may, with the approval of the commissioner, be withdrawn or exchanged from time to time for other assets of like character and value.

As long as the depositing insurer continues solvent, it shall receive the interest and dividends on any assets in the deposit.

Except on withdrawal of the insurer from this State, or substitution pursuant to section 12353, assets in the deposit in this State shall be subject to final sale, transfer, and disposal of the proceeds thereof by the commissioner only on the order of a court of competent jurisdiction and for the security and protection of the holders of, or beneficiaries under, the depositing insurers title insurance policies.

When any part of the assets to be deposited in this State consists of mortgage-secured notes or bonds, or loans upon real property secured by mortgage, such mortgages shall be accompanied by a policy of mortgage insurance issued under the provisions of this code, or by evidence of title issued by a person designated or approved by the commissioner and either authorized by law or found by the commissioner to be competent to issue such evidence. Such evidence of title shall consist either of a full abstract of title, a full certificate of title, or a policy of title insurance, and shall be assigned and approved by, or under the direction of, the commissioner. In any case where he ascertains that the expense thereof would not be unreasonable or such as to make the deposit impracticable, the commissioner may require a policy of title insurance or a guaranty that the abstract is correct and that it shows title to be in the proper party, issued by a corporation authorized to issue such policies or guaranties.

Unless the mortgage is covered by mortgage insurance, the value of the property covered by each such mortgage constituting all or part of such deposit in this State shall be appraised by one or more appraisers selected or approved by the commissioner. The appraisers shall be familiar with property values of the particular type of property and generally in the region in which the property or some part thereof is situated.

The reasonable cost of examining such evidence of title and of making such appraisement, shall be paid by the title insurer making the deposit.

A title insurer shall not transact any insurance in this state unless it has paid-in capital represented by shares of stock of at least five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000).

An insurer which anywhere in the United States transacts any class of insurance other than title insurance is not eligible for the issuance of a certificate of authority to transact title insurance in this State nor for the renewal thereof.