Bulletin: IN2009002

Dear Associates:

On December 6, 2005, the Indiana Department of Insurance (IDOI) issued Bulletin 135 stating that "Any person who conducts a real estate closing on behalf of a title insurance producer or title insurance company in which a title insurance policy is issued or to be issued must be a licensed title insurance producer."Bulletin 135 defines conducting a real estate closing as engaging in any of the following activities:

1) Activities to determine proper execution, acknowledgment and delivery of all conveyances, mortgages documents and other title instruments necessary to consummate a transaction;

2) Activities to ensure consideration has been passed and all proceeds have been properly accepted and properly disbursed; or

3) The preparation of settlement or closing statements in connection with the transaction

The IDOI has recently interpreted Bulletin 135 to apply to any real estate transaction in which a title insurance policy is issued or to be issued on Indiana property. As a result, any person that engages in any of the above-described activities, in or outside the state of Indiana, must be licensed as an insurance producer by the IDOI if Indiana property is involved and a title insurance policy is to be issued.

To view Bulletin 135 in its entirety, go to the following link:
http://www.in.gov/idoi/files/Bulletin135.pdf

For information on obtaining your Title Insurance Producer license in Indiana, go to the following link:
http://www.indianalandtitle.org/insurance_licensing.cfm

If you have questions relating to this bulletin, please contact your local underwriting personnel or Stewart Legal Services.

For on-line viewing of this and other bulletins, please log ontowww.vuwriter.com.