TITLE 41

INSURANCE

CHAPTER 27

TITLE INSURANCE

41-2706.  Title insurance rates — Justification. Title insurance premium rates for the basic classification of policies and underwriting contracts shall be those filed by a title insurer or a title insurance rating organization with justification and approved by order of the director of the department of insurance, or, those filed by the director of the department of insurance with his justification therefor, hearing thereon and order of the director, both as more particularly hereinafter set forth. The division of the total premium between a title insurer and a title insurance agent shall be filed by the title insurer. The insurance premium rates on basic classification of policies and said division of total premium shall be deemed fixed by the director of the department of insurance upon the director’s order approving the same (i) as filed and justified by a title insurer or title insurance rating organization, with or without hearing, or (ii) following a hearing on the same as filed and justified by the director of the department of insurance.

(1)  Justification of title insurance rates proposed by a title insurer, a title insurance rating organization, or the director of the department of insurance shall be filed with any proposed change of rate, and the filing shall be justified by:

(a)  the experience or judgment of the title insurer or title insurance rating organization or the director proposing the rates; or

(b)  its interpretation of any statistical data relied upon; or

(c)  the experience of other title insurers or title insurance rating organizations; or

(d)  any other factors which the title insurer or rating organization or director deems relevant.

(2)  Rates made hereunder shall not be excessive, nor inadequate for the safety and soundness of the title insurer and title insurance agent, and shall not be unfairly discriminatory, and shall be adopted giving due consideration to:

(a)  desirability of stability of rate structures;

(b)  necessity of assuring the financial solvency of a title insurer and title insurance agent in periods of economic depression by encouraging growth in assets of title insurers and title insurance agents in periods of high business and activity; and

(c)  necessity for assuring a reasonable margin of underwriting profit sufficient to induce capital to be invested therein.

(3)  Every title insurer and every title insurance rating organization shall adopt basic classifications of policies and contracts of title insurance which shall be used as the basis for rates. Rates for each classification may, at the discretion of the title insurer, or the title insurance rating organization filing the rate, be less than the cost of the expense elements in the case of smaller insurances, and the excess may be charged against larger insurances without rendering the rate unfairly discriminatory.

(4)  When the director finds upon application by a title insurer that any rate for a particular kind or class of risk cannot practicably be filed before it is used, or any contract or kind of title insurance, by reason of rarity or peculiar circumstances, does not lend itself to advance determination and filing of rates, he may, under such rules and regulations as he may prescribe, permit such rate or contract or kind of title insurance to be used without a previous notice and thirty (30) day waiting period.

History:

[I.C., sec. 41-2706, as added by 1973, ch. 135, sec. 3, p. 252; am. 2011, ch. 195, sec. 2, p. 557.]