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During the 2026 Property Records Industry Association Winter Symposium, experts gathered to discuss blockchain and its potential applications for county recorders and other recordkeepers.

Panelists at the Property Records Industry Association’s 2026 Winter Symposium dove deep into the various forms of physical media and data backup options that are emerging as ways to mitigate the risk of cyberattacks and outages, from paper to optical drives.

When property owners in Massachusetts were sued by neighbors over a boundary wall and their title insurance provider declined legal protection, the owners sued the provider for breach of contract. A judge ruled that the title company had correctly denied coverage, leading the property owners to appeal.

Lawmakers in Arizona are deliberating over a house bill that would enable citizens of any county to request that their personal information is kept confidential, including recorded documents and certain properties held in trust.

Pending signature by Gov. Bill Lee, a new state law in Tennessee will soon require increased oversight requirements for county-level deed recorders.

The Nevada Tax Commission is considering updates to the state’s real property transfer tax regulations, including changes to how exemptions to the tax are granted.

The Connecticut Insurance Department announced on April 10 that the Connecticut State Senate confirmed the state’s 34th insurance commissioner.

So far in 2026, Montana State Auditor James Brown and his team have helped to prevent nearly $1 million in fraud-related losses for Montanans, according to Brown’s office.

The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center published findings from its annual Internet Crime Report, which revealed that artificial intelligence scams and other cyber-enabled crimes cost Americans nearly $21 billion in losses last year.

The statutes and regulations outlined under the law establishing California’s Department of Insurance could be altered by a new bill being considered by state lawmakers.

Legislators in Missouri are considering a bill that would institute new requirements for residential real estate wholesalers, including written disclosure statements prior to contracts going into effect.

New regulations could soon go into effect in Nebraska which will adjust the statutes governing the election, operation and responsibilities of county tax assessors, as well as how county governments request and set certification requirements for deputy assessors. 

Lawmakers in Illinois are deliberating over a state bill that would establish a minimum fee schedule for the recording of various documents by county officials.

Two insurance companies went before a district court to dismiss counterclaims made against them by a title agency, with the dispute centering around cyber insurance coverage responsibility, negligence and a real estate fraud scheme addressed in an underlying lawsuit.

As part of The Legal Description’s 2026 State of the Industry report, we checked in with a few of our trusted experts to help discern the road ahead through the most pressing challenges, both new and old alike.

Citing multiple violations of state law as drivers of the decision, the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance refused to issue an insurance producer license to the owner of a title company in Columbia, Mo.

The U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network has issued a proposed rule intended to fundamentally reform financial institutions’ anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing programs under the Bank Secrecy Act.

The Arkansas Insurance Department issued a bulletin to the state’s licensed insurance entities on April 2, reminding producers that they are required to annually file for appointment renewal with the insurance commissioner and pay any related fees.

As part of Fraud Prevention Month, Ohio Department of Insurance Director Judith French is urging residents to safeguard against insurance fraud, which is estimated to cost consumers and businesses billions annually.

An irrevocable trust appealed a district court’s decision in its suit against a title services provider over a claims and coverage dispute. The case was ultimately decided in an appeals court.

The Colorado legislature is considering a bill which aims to modify the fees that county treasurers can charge, to amend the process for selling tax liens and to revise how a treasurer's deed is obtained after a public auction of property affected by a tax lien.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced on April 1 that it plans to convene a series of meetings with domestic and international insurance regulators as part of efforts to facilitate better regular communication and closer collaboration with state insurance regulators.

According to the Maine Bureau of Insurance, its regulatory and review processes in 2025 managed to save Maine consumers a total of roughly $5.8 million in insurance costs throughout 2025. An additional $4.5 million was returned through investigations into customer complaints.

A former escrow officer from Cameron, Mo., pleaded guilty in federal court on March 24 to one count of bank fraud. She now faces up to 30 years in federal prison without parole.