Montana § 33-2-517 - Title Insurance Reserves

§ 33-2-517. Title Insurance Reserves

Title insurance reserves. (1) In addition to an adequate reserve as to outstanding losses as required under 33-2-511 , a title insurer shall maintain a guaranty fund or unearned premium reserve of not less than an amount computed as follows: (a) Ten percent of the total amount of the risk premiums written in the calendar year for title insurance contracts must be assigned originally to the reserve. (b) During each of the 20 years next following the year in which the title insurance contract was issued, the reserve applicable to the contract must be reduced by 5% of the original amount of the reserve. (2) The reserve sums required by subsection (1) for unearned premiums on contracts of title insurance must at all times and for all purposes be considered and constitute unearned portions of the original premiums and must be held in trust for the benefit of policyholders. (3) The reduction of the unearned premium reserve required by subsection (1)(b) must be made for all title insurance contracts issued after December 31, 1958, with respect to which 10% of the risk premiums have been assigned to the reserve pursuant to subsection (1)(a). If the insurer has not reduced the amount of its unearned premium reserves pursuant to subsection (1)(b) for a previous year or years, the insurer shall make the reduction for the prior year or years in its next accounting year.