The furnishing of a preliminary report by any title insurer, controlled escrow company or underwritten title company, without charge to any person, shall constitute a violation of Section 12404. The charge for a preliminary report shall have a reasonable relation to the cost of production of the report but in no event shall it be less than the rate for a standard owners policy, minimum liability, as set forth in the company’s rate schedule. After billing any person for a preliminary report the title insurer, controlled escrow company or underwritten title company shall promptly make a good faith attempt to collect; provided, however, that notwithstanding Section 12404, but without limiting the applicability of that section to other transactions, this charge may be waived or canceled, if the company follows uniform practices as to all customers under like circumstances.

(a) After the issuance of the preliminary report, but before the charge is waived or canceled, the files of the issuing company contain a copy of a bona fide sales or exchange agreement, or loan commitment executed by the party or parties in interest relating to the property described in the report, and the sale, exchange, or loan is not consummated.

(b) When the preliminary report so furnished contains a lien or encumbrance or other title defect which the issuing company has refused to eliminate from its policy of title insurance or to provide insurance against loss by reason thereof, and another title insurance company has eliminated the lien or encumbrance or other title defect from its policy of title insurance or provided insurance against loss resulting therefrom within a reasonable period of time from the date of the issuance of the preliminary report.

The furnishing of the names of owners of record, descriptions of real property, and property characteristics, as defined in Section 408.3 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, shall not be deemed to be a violation of Section 12404, whether provided on individual or multiple properties and whether provided in printed form or by electronic media.

(Amended by Stats. 1992, Ch. 551, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1993.)