Our Real Estate Claims & Title Insurance Solutions Group represents title insurance companies and title agents, as well as uninsured owners and lenders. Title insurance underwriters and their agents face a plethora of challenges in the course of conducting business. A title insurer is called upon to take action quickly when a claim or loss is discovered. We are intimately familiar with the body of real estate case law surrounding issues which are the subject of many claims. We have designed a system to efficiently and effectively resolve the problems that may arise under a title policy, from an everyday boundary line dispute to a multi-million dollar defalcation. Our team members initiate the appropriate action to ensure our clients are protected, including a Virginia-specific or nationwide interpretation of the insurer’s duties under a policy, assessing the merits of a claim, and, if needed, filing a lawsuit to protect either the underwriter or the insured.
We have an expertise in resolving cases of fraud and defalcation of trust funds, a problem that has become increasingly common. In these cases, the underwriters will usually be asked to pay obligations intended to be paid with the stolen funds. Our team members have developed creative solutions to help underwriters stem the loss and recover defalcated assets.
We are the only law firm in Virginia to have written a claims manual, the Virginia Title Insurance Claims Manual, as a “go-to” resource for title insurance companies and their agencies. This manual enables the user to quickly identify issues arising in the day-to-day business of issuing policies. Please contact James L. Windsor, Chairman of the Real Estate Claims & Title Insurance Solutions Group section, to obtain a copy of the manual.
Our primary objective is to aid our clients in minimizing risk and maximizing profits so that they can devote their attention to issuing insurance rather than engaging in litigation. Our team has developed an aggressive, proactive approach to new claims. We react quickly to resolve a small problem before it can become a big problem.