Washington Land Title Association records, 1869-2006

The Washington Land Title Association (WLTA) formed as a non-profit association in 1905. In 1975, it was incorporated as a non-profit Washington corporation. The association is composed of trade professionals that promote high quality land title evidencing and title insurance services in the State of Washington. The organization promotes sound and ethical business practices; provides educational opportunities for members and facilitates effective communication within the Land Title Insurance industry. The WLTA is governed by an Executive Committee from its membership, including the elected positions of President and Vice President and the Immediate Past President and Chair of the Agents’ Committee.

A title insurance company is considered an underwriter; whereas, a title company is a title insurance agent or broker which issues policies for a certain underwriter, utilizing the approved forms supplied by that underwriter. The American Land Title Association (formerly American Title Association) has enabled the title industry.

In the 1920s there were four major title insurance companies in Western Washington: Washington Title Insurance (King County), Lawyers Title Insurance (King County), Puget Sound Title Insurance (King County) and Commonwealth Title Insurance (Pierce County). Also, in the 1920s there was one major underwriter in Eastern Washington, better known as Northwestern Title Insurance Company. In all of the smaller counties were title agents which issued policies as brokers for a major underwriter.

Title agents such as Bremerton Title Company and Thomas Ross Abstract Company in Kitsap County were underwritten by Washington Title. Land Title Company of Kitsap County, formed in 1968, was initially underwritten by Security Title (later renamed Safeco Title in 1973) as a policy-issuing agent. Kitsap County Title Company (now absorbed into Fidelity National Title) was formerly named Kitsap County Abstract Company and was formerly a policy-issuing agent for Puget Sound Title Company which was formed in 1926 at Seattle. There were similar arrangements in other counties in Western Washington where either branch offices of the major insurers or title agents operated, most of which have changed hands multiple times, or been absorbed by the major insurers.

Financial ‘meltdowns’ over the decades have caused major mergers and liquidations. Fidelity National Title as has now absorbed Washington Title, Chicago Title, Transamerica Title, Commonwealth Title, and Safeco Title. The major meltdowns occurred in 1991 when Ticor was purchased by Chicago and in 2008 when Transnation was acquired by Fidelity. The remaining major title insurance underwriters in the State of Washington are Fidelity National Title, First American Title, Old Republic National Title, and Stewart Guaranty.