Jesse Lane v. Chicago Title

San Francisco Superior Court Case Number 307687

Case Type: Consumer Fraud, Predatory Lending,Unfair Business Practices

Status: Preparing for trial

The Sturdevant Law Firm, along with the law firm of Mannion & Lowe, filed a lawsuit on behalf of consumers in California who used Chicago Title for escrow and title services when they purchased residences from sellers, such as developers and institutional sellers. This lawsuit is currently pending in San Francisco Superior Court.

California, as well as the federal government, have enacted strict laws that prohibit title and escrow companies, like Chicago Title, from giving incentives, including discounts, to sellers of residential real estate in an attempt to obtain business from them. The purpose of these laws is to protect consumers from steering, and to ensure competition among escrow and title companies.

The Allegations of the Lawsuit

Chicago Title is one of the largest providers of escrow and title services in the nation. Chicago Title offices are owned by Fidelity National Financial. Plaintiff's lawsuit alleges that Chicago Title has offered to enter, or has
entered, into relationships with institutional and large sellers of residential real estate in California whereby sellers receive incentives in exchange for the actual or potential referral of escrow and title transactions. Consumers who purchase residential real estate from these
sellers, as well as others who use Chicago Title's services for residential real estate transactions, effectively pay for the discounts and incentives that sellers receive because Chicago Title inflates the fees that it charges
for its services, and adds a premium or upcharge to the charges of third parties. Moreover, Chicago Title does not disclose its pricing arrangements with sellers to consumers, which is a further violation of the law.

If any California purchaser who used Chicago Title for escrow and title services since November 4, 1995 would like further information, they may contact attorney Mark Johnson at mjohnson@sturdevantlaw.com.

For information, or to schedule a free consultation, please call or email our office.