(a) A domestic title insurer shall establish and maintain a reserve, computed in accordance with this section, and all sums attributed to such reserve shall at all times and for all purposes be considered and constitute unearned portions of the original premiums. This reserve shall be reported as a liability of the title insurer in its financial statements.

(b) The reserve shall be maintained by the title insurer for the protection of holders of title insurance policies. Except as provided in this section, assets equal in value to the reserve are not subject to distribution among creditors or owners of the title insurer until all claims of policyholders or claims under reinsurance contracts have been paid in full and all liability on the policies or reinsurance contracts has been paid in full and discharged or lawfully reinsured.

(c) A foreign or alien title insurance company licensed to transact title insurance business in this state shall maintain at least the same reserves on title insurance policies issued on properties located in this state as are required of domestic title insurance companies, unless the laws of jurisdiction of domicile of the foreign or alien title insurance company require a higher amount.

(d) The reserve shall consist of (1) the amount of the reserve on October 1, 1990, and (2) a sum equal to fifteen cents for each one thousand dollars of net retained liability under each title insurance policy on a single risk written on properties located in this state written after October 1, 1990.

(e) Amounts placed in the reserve in any year in accordance with subdivision (2) of subsection (d) of this section shall be deducted in determining the net profit of the title insurer for that year.

(f) A title insurer shall release from the reserve a sum equal to ten per cent of the amount added to the reserve during a calendar year on July first of each of the five years following the year in which the sum was added, and shall release from the reserve a sum equal to three and one-third per cent of the amount added to the reserve during that year on each succeeding July first until the entire amount for that year has been released. The amount of the reserve or similar unearned premium reserve maintained before October 1, 1990, shall be released in accordance with the law in effect before October 1, 1990.

(P.A. 90-218, S. 9.)