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Commitments And Contingencies
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2021
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments And Contingencies Commitments and Contingencies
Legal Proceedings – The Company and its subsidiaries are involved in legal proceedings that are incidental to their business. In the Company’s opinion, based on the present status of these proceedings, any potential liability of the Company or its subsidiaries with respect to these legal proceedings, is not expected to be, in the aggregate, material to the Company’s unaudited consolidated financial condition or operations.

Regulation – The Company’s title insurance and trust subsidiaries are regulated by various federal, state and local governmental agencies and are subject to various audits, examinations, and inquiries. It is the opinion of management based on its present expectations that findings from these audits, examinations, and inquiries will not have a material impact on the Company’s unaudited consolidated financial condition or operations.

Escrow and Trust Deposits: As a service to its customers, the Company, through ITIC, administers escrow and trust deposits representing earnest money received under real estate contracts, escrowed funds received under escrow agreements, undisbursed amounts received for settlement of mortgage loans and indemnities against specific title risks. These amounts are not considered assets of the Company and, therefore, are excluded from the accompanying unaudited Consolidated Balance Sheets; however, the Company remains contingently liable for the disposition of these deposits.

Like-Kind Exchanges Proceeds – In administering tax-deferred like-kind exchanges pursuant to § 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code, the Company’s subsidiary, Investors Title Exchange Corporation (“ITEC”), serves as a qualified intermediary, holding the net sales proceeds from relinquished property to be used for purchase of replacement property. Another Company subsidiary, Investors Title Accommodation Corporation (“ITAC”), serves as exchange accommodation titleholder and, through limited liability companies that are wholly owned subsidiaries of ITAC, holds property for exchangers in reverse exchange transactions. Like-kind exchange deposits and reverse exchange property totaled approximately $247.9 million and $237.9 million as of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. These amounts are not considered assets of the Company and, therefore, are excluded from the accompanying unaudited Consolidated Balance Sheets; however, the Company remains contingently liable for the disposition of the transfers of property, disbursements of proceeds and the return on the proceeds at the agreed upon rate. Exchange services revenue includes earnings on these deposits; therefore, investment income is shown as other revenue rather than investment income. These like-kind exchange funds are primarily invested in money market and other short-term investments.

COVID-19 – While certain COVID-19 vaccines have been approved in recent months and are now available for use, the U.S. and other countries continue to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.  Despite increasing availability of vaccines, COVID-19 has continued to spread across the globe, including in U.S. states where the Company conducts business. The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted worldwide economic activity and created significant volatility and disruption of financial markets. In response, the U.S. government and its agencies have taken a number of significant measures to provide fiscal and monetary stimulus. Such actions include an unscheduled cut to the federal funds rate, the introduction of new programs to preserve market liquidity, extended unemployment and sick leave benefits, mortgage loan forbearance actions, low-interest loans for working capital access and payroll assistance, and other relief measures for both workers and businesses. The Company is fully operational and did not have any reductions in workforce during 2020 or the first quarter of 2021. A large portion of the Company's workforce is performing their job functions remotely.  The Company has not taken stimulus relief funding or incurred any other forms of debt.
The primary impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company’s 2020 results of operations was a reduction in value of the investment portfolio during the first quarter of 2020. Purchase volume, refinance activity and the overall stock market were strong in the latter half of 2020, which continued into the first quarter of 2021. Lower average mortgage interest rates, a tight real estate supply and pent-up demand spurred real estate activity and prices. It is unclear if real estate activity will remain as resilient in future periods. It is possible that net premiums written could decline in the future due to the pandemic and the economic disruption it is causing. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve and any recovery could be slowed or reversed by a number of factors, including, but not limited to, a widespread resurgence in COVID-19 infections, whether due to spread of variants of the virus or otherwise and the availability and rate of vaccinations. Because of the inherent uncertainty regarding the duration and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on the economy, as well as uncertainty regarding the effects of government measures already taken, and which may be taken or continued in the future, to combat the spread of the virus, and/or provide additional economic stimulus, the Company is currently unable to predict what the ultimate impact of the pandemic on its business will be.