Neb. Rev. Stat. § 44-1988 — NE Code / Chapter 44 / Section 44-1988
View Statute 44-1988
Status: in_force

(1) In determining the financial condition of a title insurer transacting the business of title insurance under the Title Insurers Act, the general provisions of the insurance laws of this state requiring the establishment of reserves sufficient to cover all known and unknown liabilities, including allocated and unallocated loss adjustment expense, shall apply except as provided in subsections (2) through (4) of this section.

(2) A title insurer shall establish and maintain a known claim reserve in an amount estimated to be sufficient to cover all unpaid losses, claims, and allocated loss adjustment expenses arising under title insurance policies, guaranteed certificates of title, guaranteed searches, and guaranteed abstracts of title and all unpaid losses, claims, and allocated loss adjustment expenses for which the title insurer may be liable and for which the title insurer has received notice by or on behalf of the insured, holder of a guarantee or escrow, or security depositor.

(3)(a) If a title insurer is a foreign or non-United-States title insurer, the title insurer shall establish and maintain a statutory or unearned premium reserve consisting of the amount of statutory or unearned premium reserve required by the laws of the domiciliary state of the title insurer.

(b)(i) If a title insurer is a domestic insurer of this state, the title insurer shall establish and maintain a statutory or unearned premium reserve in an amount equal to seventeen cents per one thousand dollars of net retained liability for each insurance policy.

(ii) The amount set aside in the reserve required under subdivision (3)(b)(i) of this section shall be released from the reserve and restored to net profits over a period of twenty years pursuant to the following formula: Thirty percent of the aggregate sum in the year next succeeding the year of addition; fifteen percent of the aggregate sum in the next succeeding year; ten percent of the aggregate sum in each of the next succeeding two years; five percent of the aggregate sum in each of the next succeeding two years; three percent of the aggregate sum in each of the next succeeding two years; two percent of the aggregate sum in each of the next succeeding seven years; and one percent of the aggregate sum in each of the next succeeding five years. For each year in which a release of statutory or unearned premium reserve is authorized under this subdivision, such reserve shall be released over the course of the year in twelve equal monthly amounts, beginning on July 1.

(c)(i) If a title insurer that is organized under the laws of another state transfers its domicile to this state, the statutory or unearned premium reserve shall be that amount required by the laws of the state of the title insurer's former state of domicile as of the date of transfer of domicile. Thereafter, the aggregate of such statutory or unearned premium reserve shall be released from the reserve and restored to profits over a period of twenty years pursuant to the formula set forth in subdivision (3)(c)(iii) of this section.

(ii) Following the transfer of domicile to this state of the title insurer described in subdivision (3)(c)(i) of this section, for business written after the date of transfer of domicile, the title insurer shall add to and set aside in the statutory or unearned premium reserve such amount as provided in subdivision (3)(b)(i) of this section.

(iii) The amounts set aside in the reserve required under subdivision (3)(c)(i) of this section shall be released from the reserve and restored to net profits over a period of twenty years pursuant to the following formula: An initial release of thirty percent of the aggregate of such reserves on the forty-fifth day following the last day of the calendar quarter in which the insurer transfers its domicile; fifteen percent of the aggregate sum in the next succeeding year; ten percent of the aggregate sum in each of the next succeeding two years; five percent of the aggregate sum in each of the next succeeding two years; three percent of the aggregate sum in each of the next succeeding two years; two percent of the aggregate sum in each of the next succeeding seven years; and one percent of the aggregate sum in each of the next succeeding five years. For each year in which a release of statutory or unearned premium reserve is authorized under this subdivision, such reserve shall be released over the course of the year in twelve equal monthly amounts, beginning on July 1.

(4) A title insurer shall establish and maintain a supplemental reserve consisting of any other reserves necessary, when taken in combination with the reserves required by subsections (2) and (3) of this section, to cover the title insurer's liabilities with respect to all losses, claims, and loss adjustment expenses.

(5) Each title insurer subject to the Title Insurers Act shall file with its annual financial statement required under section 44-322 a certification by a member in good standing of the American Academy of Actuaries. The actuarial certification required of a title insurer shall conform to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners' annual statement instructions for title insurers.

Laws 1997, LB 53, § 11;

Laws 2006, LB 875, § 3;

Laws 2009, LB192, § 2.