Go to the 2009 Online Convention Registration Page

Land Title Association
of Colorado
527 Oriole Drive
PO Box 4604
Grand Junction, CO 81502-4604
(800) 479-3089

Marketing Practices and Remuneration Survey from Division of Insurance

The Colorado Division of Insurance has mandated responses to its letter and survey form to be received no later than April 16, 2009. This information is posted for your use in the event that you did not receive the notice directly from the Division.

First Two Best Practices Approved by Title Advisory Council

The Colorado Division of Insurance Title Advisory Council has adopted the first two best practice documents developed by the best practices subcommittee. The first best practices document – Garbage Exceptions is available here in PDF format. The second best practices document, Short Sale/Short Payoff Negotiations is available here (see also, reference library, Best Practices).

2009 LTAC Convention September 16-18

Plan now to attend the 2009 LTAC Convention September 16-18. The meeting promises to be filled with information and networking opportunities in a challenging market. You can review the tentative Convention Program Schedule in PDF format, and the Convention Registration Form is available to be filled out in PDF format.

The easiest way to register is to do so online directly from this web site. Mark your calendar today, and we’ll see you September 16-18 at the Inverness Hotel in Englewood, Colorado!

2009 Legislative Updates Available

You can visit the Colorado Legislation page to read Cathy Wanstrath's weekly legislative updates or download any one of the updates in PDF or Word format from the Reference Library. Weekly updates will be posted throughout the current Session of the Colorado Legislature.

Insurance Commissioner's Annual Report on
Title Insurance released

Colorado Commissioner of Insurance, Marcy Morrison, released the 2008 Annual Report on Title Insurance on January 1, 2009 in PDF format. This year’s report provides data on the number of enforcement actions taken, market trends associated with title insurance and real estate transactions, and consumer complaints concerning title insurance for the calendar year 2008. Also included, where appropriate, are comparisons of prior years.

New Final RESPA Rule Significant Victory for Title Insurance Industry

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released its final rule on the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) yesterday. The final rule and accompanying commentary is 341 pages long. HUD accepted many of the recommendations made by ALTA in its comments, testimony before Congress, and many meetings with the agency. Significantly, HUD has shortened the GFE and HUD 1/1A; dropped the closing script, volume discounts, and the “optional” reference to owners’ title insurance; extended average cost pricing to all settlement service providers; and provided a right to cure for amounts in excess of tolerances and for HUD 1/1A errors.

Read the full story in Adobe PDF or MS Word format. See our Federal Regulations Section for detailed information.

What the Housing & Economic Recovery Act means for Colorado

HERA (the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008) will have an impact on Real Estate in Colorado. Two documents that outline the requirements, funding sources and intentions for fund usage can be read here:

HERA Overview (PDF Format)
Neighborhood Stabilization Detail (PDF Format)

Division of Insurance proposes new fee schedule

A new rate schedule for biennial producers' license fees has been announced by DOI to take effect in July, 2009. A hearing in the matter is set for March 4, 2009. The complete text of the announcement, meeting details and proposed fees is available in PDF format here.

FY2007-2008 Annual Report on Complaints Against Insurers

Click on the Logo above to visit the DORA Web site. Here are other Colorado Regulatory Agency sites:
Colorado Division of Insurance
Colorado Division of Real Estate
For more helfpul links, visit our links page.

Colorado Commissioner of Insurance, Marcy Morrison, released the FY2007-2008 Annual Report on Complaints Against Insurers on October 1, 2008. You can download the report in PDF format from this Web site.

New Forms Required with Manufactured Homes

FYI for all title professionals who work with manufactured homes. House Bill 08-1260 is effective July 1, 2008. New Bradford forms will be in use by county officials and all others who are involved with documenting the status of manufactured homes as they are permanently placed, moved or destroyed. Training for county personnel is currently underway. The forms are on the Division of Property Taxation web site as a PDF document. Contact your county clerk, assessor or treasurer with questions about the new process.

In our Consumers Section: Home Closing 101

Consumers visiting our site are encouraged to review this very helpful and informative look at many aspects of the Home Closing procedures offered in layman's terms by the American Land Title Association.

Click on the image at left to view this important information in a separate browser window/tab.

Board and Committee Meetings Scheduled

June 8, 2009 - 9 AM - LOCATION: Organization Management Services, 1799 Pennsylvania St., #260, Denver
July 13, 2009 - 9 AM - LOCATION: Organization Management Services, 1799 Pennsylvania St., #260, Denver

You can also get your own copy of the revised 2008-2009 Roster of LTAC Officers, Directors and Staff in PDF format here.

Title Advisory Council Meeting

The next Title Advisory Council meeting is Monday, June 23rd at 9:00 AM.

About LTAC

The Land Title Association of Colorado is a non-profit trade organization designed to promote and advance title insurance issues in Colorado. We were incorporated in 1963, but our organization history dates back to 1906, when a concerned group of title professionals joined together to ensure competency and thoroughness in Colorado title work. Their legacy lives on today in LTAC. Our members, businesses or individuals, come together to protect Colorado real estate transactions. Real estate buyers, sellers, financers and developers all benefit from the quality title work fostered by LTAC and its members.

Our organization provides education to its members, outreach to the consumer community, and insight to legislators and regulators about the title insurance industry. We are proud of our history, engaged in the present, and challenged by our future.

Check the News section for links to the latest Legislative Updates on the Colorado State Assembly current session. The latest LTAC Newsletter is also now available.

Worked with the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) to refine legislation to provide appropriate rules and enforcement regarding affiliated business arrangements. (House Bill 06-1141)
Filed an amicus brief in the Hicks v. Londre case that successfully protected the ability to apply the principle of equitable subrogation to prevent unintended results.
Worked with the Real Estate Commission and Forms Committee to achieve withdrawal of a new real estate contract provision (12a) that would have made our work product public information.
Represented our title industry in meetings and groups such as the Real Estate section of the Colorado Bar Association; the Interprofessional Committee; the Colorado Housing Council; the Title Advisory Council of the Division of Insurance; and the Real Estate forms committee.
Met with County Clerks and Recorders representing various counties to clarify their recording policies and procedures for our members throughout the state.
LTAC Lobbyist Cathy Wanstrath, along with members of the Association’s Legislative Committee, monitored and successfully lobbied for amendments on legislation being proposed at the state legislature that could positively or negatively affect our title industry and the protection we afford our consumers.
Attended ALTA national conferences and advocated for our industry with Colorado’s Congressional delegation in Washington D.C.
Hosted the annual Legislative Luncheon for LTAC members to meet and talk with members of the Colorado General Assembly. Approximately 150 people attended this event.
Enhanced our education programs by adding additional classes on a broader range of title industry topics.
Hosted our Spring and Fall schools together with additional programs at the Legislative Luncheon to provide continuing education credits for the association’s C.T.I.S. designation to over 300 industry members.
Hosted the 85th Annual LTAC Convention in Vail, Colorado. Over 110 title and closing professionals from both small and large companies, agencies and underwriters throughout the state participated.

These are only a few of things LTAC has recently accomplished for our industry.

OTHER NOTEWORTHY ACHIEVEMENTS:

Initiated a bill which will establish clear standards for the timely recording and indexing of real property documents by County Clerk and Recorders (Senate Bill 04-047).
Initiated and passed a bill to amend the name variance statute(s) to streamline the process of correcting errors on real property instruments (House Bill 03-1194).
Successfully amended a bill with a change in the law (see CRS §38-35-124.5) that has already saved LTAC members many thousands of dollars that were previously lost due to inaccurate payoff statements (Senate Bill 02-161).
Worked with the Colorado Mortgage Lenders and the Division of Insurance to create a new good funds agreement.
Formed an Operational Task Force with the Colorado Mortgage Lenders Association to encourage communication and promote more efficient processes between our two industries.
We are proud to be represented by the services of a professional management team and lobbyist to take the lead in implementing the direction of the LTAC members.
Implemented technologies that saved the association thousands of dollars by introducing an electronic system for distribution of newsletters and other member communications.

Don't be left out!

Your association is hard at work for you. We’re building more and better services and more political clout for you! If you are not a member, join today! If you are a member, keep supporting LTAC, help us find new members, and tell us what else we can do for you!