Title & Escrow Claims Guide

Do you need to stay updated on the latest developments in title insurance legislation? Find the latest insight on handling claims on land title insurance policies, closing protection letters, equitable subrogation and closing defects.

Published since 1996 and authored by well-recognized expert J. Bushnell Nielsen, The Title and Escrow Claims Guide is the preferred research tool for land title claims administrators and retained counsel. This two-volume treatise serves as a guide for resolving disputes about title insurance policies, real estate escrow and closings, and related issues involving title insurers, title agents, approved attorneys and escrowees.

The Claims Guide is also an excellent educational resource for title companies to use when training new employees in title insurance claims, underwriting and title examination. You can purchase this book in the digital, or the bundled digital & print version. The book includes form letters regularly used by title claims professionals, available in both the digital-only and digital & print versions.

For more information, please see the table of contents.

If you have any questions, please contact Carolina Perez at [email protected].

2024 Edition

The latest edition, the 2024 Title and Escrow Claims Guide contains 1,832 pages, with many pages of new material. The 2024 edition contains analysis of well over 100 court decisions not found in the 2023 edition, and new analysis of a number of subjects. The new material includes the following:

• New decisions on wire transfer fraud in the context of agent liability, bank liability and E & O policy coverage
• Important new decisions on the measure of loss
• New rulings on the insurer's duty to cooperate in the claim investigation and in clearing title
• New decisions and discussion of a buyer's inquiry notice and policy coverage
• Discussion of a new decision on abutter's rights and an augmented explanation of that doctrine
• A new explanation of an appraisal text book that describes diminution in value methodology and why existing use is presumed to be the highest and best use
• A decision holding that the insurer did not admit policy coverage by obtaining a diminution in value appraisal
• Description of the Nevada Supreme Court and other decisions on endorsement coverage for post-policy HOA assessments
• The Arizona Supreme Court decision on mechanics' liens and Exclusion 3(a), and numerous other rulings on that exclusion
• Important decisions on the voluntary settlement provision
• Rulings about discovery of claim manuals and underwriting bulletins
• An updated discussion of watchful waiting, and new cases on that issue
• A decision holding that loss does not include the insured's expenses in operating or maintaining the property, even if inaccessible
• Several decisions about fraud in obtaining title and Moskopoulos
• Excellent decisions on insurer's duty to defend covered counts only
• Decisions rejecting the insured's claim that a title insurer favored one insured over another by paying for litigation
• Very good decisions expanding and clarifying matters created, suffered, assumed and agreed to by insured
• Michigan Supreme Court decision holding that a building code violation is not an encumbrance on title
• Decisions holding that physical conditions do not invoke policy coverage