Bulletin: CT2019002

Dear Associates:

The American Land Title Association (ALTA) recently adopted the following endorsements, all of which will be available for use in Connecticut as of August 1, 2019:

1. ALTA Endorsement 3.3-06 Zoning - Completed Improvement - Non-Conforming Use

This endorsement requires approval of a Stewart Title Guaranty Company Underwriter.

This endorsement to the Loan Policy or Owner's Policy is designed for issuance on Land improved with an existing building where there is known non-conforming use. This endorsement insures against loss or damage if a specified non-conforming use is not allowed because it violates a municipal or county zoning ordinance or zoning regulation.  In addition, this endorsement insures against a final court order either prohibiting the present non-conforming use or requiring removal or alteration of the existing building because the non-conforming use violates a zoning ordinance or zoning regulation as to: (i) area, width or depth of the Land as a building site for the building, (ii) floor space area of the building, (iii) setback of the building, (iv) height of the building, or (v) number of parking spaces.

The ALTA Forms Committee recognized the need for industry standard coverage for situations in which an insurer chooses to provide coverage for a known non-conforming use that applies to an existing building since the other standard ALTA Endorsements in the 3-Series do not provide the specific coverages required in these situations.

2. ALTA Endorsement 3.4-06 Zoning - No Zoning Classification

This endorsement requires approval of a Stewart Title Guaranty Company Underwriter.

his endorsement to the Loan Policy or Owner's Policy is designed for issuance on Land improved with an existing building or structure where there is no zoning classification. This endorsement insures against loss or damage if a specified use is not allowed because it violates a municipal or county zoning ordinance or zoning regulation. In addition, this endorsement insures against a final court order either prohibiting the present use or requiring removal or alteration of the existing building or structure because the use violates a zoning ordinance or zoning regulation as to: (i) area, width or depth of the Land as a building site for the structure, (ii) floor space area of the structure, (iii) setback of the structure, (iv) height of the structure, or (v) number of parking spaces.

The ALTA Forms Committee recognized the need for industry standard coverage for situations in which an insurer chooses to provide coverage in cases where there is no existing zoning classification since the other standard ALTA Endorsements in the 3-Series do not provide the specific coverages required in these situations.

3. ALTA Endorsement 18.3-06 Single Tax Parcel and ID

This endorsement to the Owner's or Loan Policy is issued if the Land consists of only one tax parcel. It insures against loss if: (1) the Land is taxed as part of a larger parcel of land or if the Land fails to constitute a separate tax parcel for real estate taxes; or (2) any portion of the Land is not being assessed for real estate taxes under the specified tax identification number.

The ALTA Forms Committee created this endorsement for situations in which the insured requires the tax parcel number identified for a single parcel of Land since the existing ALTA 18-02 does not identify the tax parcel number as the ALTA 18.1-06 and ALTA 18.2-06 do.

Please log onto Virtual Underwriter (www.vuwriter.com) for specific requirements.

Please contact Property Info Customer Care or your title production software vendor to get the new rate/form changes implemented in your system.

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