33-25-214. Underwriting standards -- record retention. - Montana Statutes

     33-25-214. Underwriting standards -- record retention. (1) A title insurer may not issue a title insurance policy unless it, its title insurance producer, or an approved attorney has conducted a reasonable search and examination of the title and made a determination of insurability of title in accordance with sound underwriting practices. The title insurer or title insurance producer shall preserve and retain in its files evidence of the examination of title and determination of insurability. The title insurer or title insurance producer may keep original evidence or may establish in the regular course of business a system of recording, copying, or reproducing evidence by any process that accurately and legibly reproduces, or forms a durable medium for reproducing, the contents of the original.
     (2) Subsection (1) does not apply to:
     (a) a title insurer assuming liability through a contract of reinsurance; or
     (b) a title insurer acting as coinsurer if one of the other coinsuring title insurers has complied with subsection (1).
     (3) Except as allowed by rules adopted by the commissioner, a title insurer or title insurance producer may not knowingly issue any title insurance product or commitment to insure unless all outstanding enforceable recorded liens or other interests against the property title to be insured are shown.
     (4) An insurer issuing a policy in violation of this section is estopped, as a matter of law, to deny the validity of the policy as to any claim or demand of the insured arising under the policy.

     History: En. Sec. 6, Ch. 519, L. 1985; amd. Sec. 62, Ch. 713, L. 1989; amd. Sec. 21, Ch. 399, L. 2007.