Committees
Founded in 1907, the California Land Title Association is a member supported trade association whose mission is to advance the interest of the California Title Insurance Industry through its public and governmental affairs activities and to serve the needs of its member companies through a variety of members services.
This Association is strongly supported by the efforts of over 180 volunteers serving on CLTA's Board of Governors, Standing Committees and as Association Officers. The purpose of each CLTA Committee is set forth below.
Description & Purposes
Claims Awareness Committee
The purpose of CLTA's Claims Awareness Committee is to identify the latest trends in claims, and offer claims awareness tips to title company personnel designed to prevent like claims in the future. These tips will be circulated to all CLTA member companies through the Claims Awareness Hot Sheet, an annual claims awareness workshop and by other means which the Committee deems appropriate. Ideally, the Committee will be comprised of those responsible for claims administration and claims awareness within their own companies.
It shall be the goal of the Committee to publish the Claims Awareness Hot Sheet quarterly. The Association hopes that individuals serving on this committee will: share written examples of claims suffered by their company; edit those examples into easily read, easily understood synopses; and, offer tips to those on the firing line regarding how to avoid suffering like claims in the future.
The Committee will likely meet four times a year.
Education Committee
The Education Committee provides basic, intermediate and advanced education to California's title industry. The Committee sponsors seminars in areas of special interest to enhance the knowledge and skills of those within the industry. Additionally, the Committee is responsible for the development and distribution of education materials to support member companies' training efforts.
The purpose of this committee is not to supplant the ongoing educational programs within member companies, but to enhance those programs and to provide basic educational building blocks to assure that, as an industry, we are fostering both competence and professionalism.
Executive Committee
The Executive Committee is established in the CLTA Bylaws. It is composed of the President of the Association, the First Vice President, the Second Vice President and the Chief Financial Officer/Treasurer of the Association by virtue of their offices and the Immediate Past President, plus seven members appointed by the Board of Governors. These members must be full-time employees of regular members and members of the Board of Governors. No appointment can be made which affords any corporate member or affiliated group of a corporate member, directly or through its, or their agents, concurrent representation by more than three of its officers or employees.
The Executive Committee is empowered to act for the Board of Governors and for the Association in any situation (except as to election to honorary membership, censure, suspension or expulsion) when at the discretion of the President or the Committee it is impractical to defer action awaiting the assembly of the Board of Governors at their next regularly scheduled meeting. The President presides at meetings of the Executive Committee.
In addition, it may authorize and direct the expenditure of funds of the Association for appropriate matters of Association concern, which is required to report its action to the first meeting of the Board of Governors following such action.
Forms and Practices Committee
The Forms and Practices Committee is established in the CLTA Bylaws. It is a 45 members committee which devotes over 1,800 volunteer man-hours per year in support of this association.
A principal duty of the Forms and Practices Committee is to review, modify and propose forms and to review and recommend practices for possible use by CLTA members while involved in the business of title insurance in California.
Committee responsibilities are delegated to a number of sections, which report before the full committee four times annually. The various sections and their responsibilities are as follows:
Administrative Section
This Section is charged with the responsibility for handling administrative details pertaining to the functions of the Committee, including (1) the review of previous Committee Minutes and Modified Minutes for perceived errors or omissions; (2) the indexing of Committee Minutes and Modified Minutes; (3) the confirmation that appropriate additions to, or revisions in, the CLTA Manual material have been made in conformity with the recommendations of the Committee; and (4) the review and recommendation for approval of CLTA Manual upkeep charges.
Bankruptcy Section
This Section is charged with the responsibility of (1) reviewing court decisions and/or monitoring appeals therefrom with respect to bankruptcy issues of importance to the title industry; (2) reviewing California or Federal bankruptcy legislation which impacts upon real property transactions; and (3) reviewing title industry practices concerning bankruptcy matters, and making recommendations thereon, for Committee consideration.
Closing Instructions Section
This Section is charged with the responsibility for (1) reviewing samples of submitted closing instructions used by customer groups which impose conditions impacting upon title insurance; (2) to meet with and/or discuss matters of concern with the customer group for the purpose of seeking resolution of the issues raised by the instructions; and (3) to make reports of the results to the Committee for consideration.
Court Decisions Section
This Section is charged with the responsibility for (1) reviewing court decisions which have been referred to the Committee as affecting the title industry, and summarizing same for Committee consideration; and (2) recommending, for Committee consideration, whether CLTA should file an amicus curiae brief on the appeal of such a decision.
Governmental Regulations Section
This Section is charged with the responsibility for reviewing federal, state, county and city regulations or ordinances which have been referred to the Committee as affecting the title industry, and to make recommendations thereon for Committee consideration.
Legislation Section
This Section is charged with the responsibility for reviewing federal and state legislation which has been referred to the Committee as affecting the title industry, and to make recommendations thereon for Committee consideration.
Subdivision Section
This Section is charged with the responsibility for reviewing problems and considerations which have been referred to the Committee as affecting the division of land, including Subdivision Map Act issues, and to make recommendations thereon for Committee consideration.
Taxes, Bonds and Assessments Section
This Section is charged with the responsibility for reviewing matters pertaining to federal and state tax liens, ad valorem taxes and tax titles, and special assessments, bond and treasurer's sales, which have been referred to the Committee as affecting the title industry, and to make recommendations thereon for Committee consideration.
Title Documents Section
This Section is charged with the responsibility for reviewing recorded or pro forma documentation which has been referred to the Committee as affecting the title industry, and to make recommendations concerning treatment thereof for title insurance purposes for Committee consideration.
Title Forms Section
This Section is charged with the responsibility for responding to Committee or Board of Governors requests for (1) the conception of new forms of title insurance coverage, and the issuing practices therefor; (2) the revision in, or withdrawal of, extant CLTA forms, as deemed necessary; and (3) the submission of recommended forms, or the recommended withdrawal thereof, to the CLTA office for adoption or approval by the Board of Governors and filing with the State Department of Insurance.
Legislative Committee
The Legislative Committee is established in the Bylaws. It is a 28 member committee which devotes approximately 588 volunteer man-hours per year in support of this Association.
The purpose of the Legislative Committee is to review and make recommendations with respect to legislative matters that may have an impact on the conduct of the business of title insurance in this state.
The Legislative Committee is charged with the following responsibilities:
- To review the write ups for the annual CLTA Summary of Legislation to determine whether to include in the Summary, whether to modify the write up and whether to refer the measure to the Forms and Practices Committee for either a Manual change or a practice recommendation.
- To review legislation proposals received from CLTA members and other groups or individuals asking for the introduction or support of legislation or for comments on legislative proposals.
- To report to the Board of Governors on legislation which the Committee deems should be brought to the attention of the Board of Governors.
- To determine which legislation the CLTA should sponsor.
- To review and determine CLTA positions on all legislation which the CLTA staff refers to the Committee. Those positions being to support, oppose, amend or take no action on a particular measure.
Litigation Committee
The Litigation Committee is a twelve member committee which devotes approximately 48 volunteer man-hours annually in support of this Association.
The purpose of this Committee is to consider requests of the CLTA to participate in litigation by filing amicus curiae briefs, by providing research or by sharing in the costs of said litigation. The Litigation Committee employs a number of criteria in determining the advisability of CLTA participation in litigation, including:
- The importance to or impact upon the title insurance industry;
- The potential effect of a CLTA contribution upon the ultimate outcome of the litigation;
- The ability of the litigants to obtain such contributions from other sources;
- Whether or not the arguments and issues involved are unique or innovative;
- The frequency with which situations will arise in practice that will be affected by the outcome of the litigation;
- The probability of settlement;
- The probability of appeal being accepted;
- The probability of the appeal being successful.
