18.44.201 - Financial responsibility -- Fidelity bond -- Errors and omissions policy -- Surety bond.

Financial responsibility — Fidelity bond — Errors and omissions policy — Surety bond.

(1) At the time of filing an application for an escrow agent license, or any renewal or reinstatement of an escrow agent license, the applicant shall provide satisfactory evidence to the director of having obtained the following as evidence of financial responsibility:

     (a) A fidelity bond providing coverage in the aggregate amount of two hundred thousand dollars with a deductible no greater than ten thousand dollars covering each corporate officer, partner, escrow officer, and employee of the applicant engaged in escrow transactions;

     (b) An errors and omissions policy issued to the escrow agent providing coverage in the minimum aggregate amount of fifty thousand dollars or, alternatively, cash or securities in the principal amount of fifty thousand dollars deposited in an approved depository on condition that they be available for payment of any claim payable under an equivalent errors and omissions policy in that amount and pursuant to rules and regulations adopted by the department for that purpose; and

     (c) A surety bond in the amount of ten thousand dollars executed by the applicant as obligor and by a surety company authorized to do a surety business in this state as surety, unless the fidelity bond obtained by the licensee to satisfy the requirement in (a) of this subsection does not have a deductible. The bond shall run to the state of Washington as obligee, and shall run to the benefit of the state and any person or persons who suffer loss by reason of the applicant's or its employee's violation of this chapter. The bond shall be conditioned that the obligor as licensee will faithfully conform to and abide by this chapter and all rules adopted under this chapter, and shall reimburse all persons who suffer loss by reason of a violation of this chapter or rules adopted under this chapter. The bond shall be continuous and may be canceled by the surety upon the surety giving written notice to the director of its intent to cancel the bond. The cancellation shall be effective thirty days after the notice is received by the director. Whether or not the bond is renewed, continued, reinstated, reissued, or otherwise extended, replaced, or modified, including increases or decreases in the penal sum, it shall be considered one continuous obligation, and the surety upon the bond shall not be liable in an aggregate amount exceeding the penal sum set forth on the face of the bond. In no event shall the penal sum, or any portion thereof, at two or more points in time be added together in determining the surety's liability. The bond shall not be liable for any penalties imposed on the licensee, including but not limited to, any increased damages or attorneys' fees, or both, awarded under RCW 19.86.090.

     (2) For the purposes of this section, a "fidelity bond" shall mean a primary commercial blanket bond or its equivalent satisfactory to the director and written by an insurer authorized to transact this line of business in the state of Washington. Such bond shall provide fidelity coverage for any fraudulent or dishonest acts committed by any one or more of the corporate officers, partners, sole practitioners, escrow officers, and employees of the applicant engaged in escrow transactions acting alone or in collusion with others. This bond shall be for the sole benefit of the escrow agent and under no circumstances whatsoever shall the bonding company be liable under the bond to any other party unless the corporate officer, partner, or sole practitioner commits a fraudulent or dishonest act, in which case, the bond shall be for the benefit of the harmed consumer. The bond shall name the escrow agent as obligee and shall protect the obligee against the loss of money or other real or personal property belonging to the obligee, or in which the obligee has a pecuniary interest, or for which the obligee is legally liable or held by the obligee in any capacity, whether the obligee is legally liable therefor or not. An escrow agent's bond must be maintained until all accounts have been reconciled and the escrow trust account balance is zero. The bond may be canceled by the insurer upon delivery of thirty days' written notice to the director and to the escrow agent. In the event that the fidelity bond required under this subsection is not reasonably available, the director may adopt rules to implement a surety bond requirement.

     (3) For the purposes of this section, an "errors and omissions policy" shall mean a group or individual insurance policy satisfactory to the director and issued by an insurer authorized to transact insurance business in the state of Washington. Such policy shall provide coverage for unintentional errors and omissions of the escrow agent and its employees, and may be canceled by the insurer upon delivery of thirty days' written notice to the director and to the escrow agent.

     (4) Except as provided in RCW 18.44.221, the fidelity bond, surety bond, and the errors and omissions policy required by this section shall be kept in full force and effect as a condition precedent to the escrow agent's authority to transact escrow business in this state, and the escrow agent shall supply the director with satisfactory evidence thereof upon request.

[2010 c 34 § 7; 1999 c 30 § 5; 1979 c 70 § 1; 1977 ex.s. c 156 § 5; 1971 ex.s. c 245 § 4; 1965 c 153 § 5. Formerly RCW 18.44.050.]