Bulletin: NC2011001

Dear Associates:

This Bulletin is a reminder to agents to verify actual and legal access to a property before issuing a policy without exception to matters of access. The ALTA 2006 policy insures against loss or damage sustained by an insured by reason of (4.) No right of access to and from the Land. Therefore, we must limit such coverage by a Schedule B exception.

Areas that are of the most concern are:

Properties that do not abut a publically dedicated road as shown on surveys or recorded plats.

Metes and bounds legal descriptions that do not contain reference to a publically dedicated road.

Rural and/or mountain properties relying on unrecorded easements, licenses or other unofficial access routes.

We require the certifying attorney to provide us with sufficient information to determine if the property has access to a public roadway either directly or by a sufficient easement. If we are not satisfied with the sufficiency of the access, we must take exception for such access in both the owner and lender policies:

Lack of a right of access to and from the land. The insuring provision as to access is hereby deleted.

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

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