News By Edition

New York Attorney General Letitia James entered an agreement with First American Financial Corp. to end the insurer’s no-poach agreements. James has now secured a total of $13.75 million from title insurers for illegal no-poach agreements.

President Joe Biden issued an executive order establishing new standards for artificial intelligence safety and security aimed at protecting Americans’ privacy, advancing equity and civil rights, and promoting innovation and competition.

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network has renewed and expanded its Geographical Targeting Orders requiring U.S. title insurance companies to identify the natural persons behind companies used in non-financed purchases of residential real estate.

A mortgagor filed suit to challenge the foreclosure and subsequent sale of his property. After the trial court issued its opinion, he appealed, challenging the court’s conclusion that he lacked standing to bring his claims after the redemption period expired. The Michigan Court of Appeals heard the case.

A man filed a suit to try title to property in Harris County, Texas, against an alleged owner of the property. He alleged the deed that purported to give title to the seller was a forgery, and therefore the deed to the alleged owner did not convey good title. He filed a third-party complaint against the title company that conducted the owner’s transaction, alleging negligence.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, National Security Agency , Federal Bureau of Investigation and Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center issued new guidance: Phishing Guidance: Stopping the Attack Cycle at Phase One.

A bill amending Oklahoma’s law on foreign ownership went into effect Nov. 1.

The Federal Trade Commission has approved an amendment to the Safeguards Rule that would require non-banking institutions to report certain data breaches and other security events to the agency.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued a formal opinion concluding that contractual assessments imposed by local governments under the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Act are considered special assessments by local government and treated in a similar manner as the real estate taxes on the property.

The New Hampshire Insurance Department (NHID) promoted Keith Nyhan to the deputy commissioner of the department.

The Supreme Court of Washington recently heard a case where the owner of property sued the lender that wrongly foreclosed on the property. The owner prevailed at trial court on both quiet title and damages for slander of title and the trial court awarded substantial fees based on the slander of title claim. The appellate court reversed the slander of title claim but awarded fees to the owner on a new theory before the case was reviewed by the highest court of the state.

The Michigan Legislature introduced legislation making certain right-to-list sale agreements void and unenforceable.

The New Mexico Office of the Superintendent of Insurance announced in a notice on its website that it is investigating and remediating a data security incident.

A couple, as themselves and as trustees of a trust, filed suit against a title insurer for the purported wrongful foreclosure on their property. Two related cases are also making their way through the court system and the court ruled it was necessary to stay this case pending appeal in the others.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ Title Insurance Task Force proposed its charges for next year.

When a trust purchased property from a developer, the purchase and sales agreement required it to develop the lot within two years or the developer would have the right to repurchase the lot. The trust failed to do so and eventually settled with the developer, seeking coverage from its title insurer. The insurer declined coverage of the losses and the trust sued.

In a case where both parties are victims of fraud, the company that sold the property to the fraudsters and held the note and deed of trust on the property sued the entity that provided a loan to the fraudsters later. The seller eventually filed suit against the lending entity to determine whose security interest prevails. After a lower court found in favor of the seller, the defendant entity appealed.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two bills that will require covered entities to report on climate-related issues.

After a seller was unsuccessful in obtaining title insurance as required under the sales contract, it returned the buyer’s earnest money and canceled the contract. The buyer filed suit, seeking performance of the contract.