§ 58-26-45.  Registration as a lien agent.

(a) A title insurance company or title insurance agency authorized to do business in this State that consents to serve as a lien agent upon designation by any owner pursuant to G.S. 44A-11.1 shall register with the Department by providing the following information:

(1) Name of the title insurance company or title insurance agency consenting to serve as a lien agent pursuant to G.S. 44A-11.1.

(2) Physical and mailing address, facsimile number and electronic mail address to which notices may be delivered to the lien agent pursuant to G.S. 44A-11.2.

(3) Telephone number of the lien agent.

(b) Upon receipt of the notice of designation by the owner pursuant to G.S. 44A-11.1, a lien agent shall have the duty to do all of the following:

(1) Provide written notice acknowledging its designation as a lien agent to the owner within three business days of receipt of the owner's written notice of designation, by the same method of delivery used by the owner in delivering the notice of designation to the lien agent.

(2) Receive notices to lien agent delivered by potential lien claimants pursuant to G.S. 44A-11.2.

(3) Maintain a record of the date and time of delivery and the information contained in each notice to lien agent received.

(4) Within three business days of receipt of a notice to lien agent by a potential lien claimant relating to improvements to real property for which the lien agent has been designated as the lien agent, provide written notice confirming receipt of the notice to the person providing such notice, by the same method used by the potential lien claimant in delivering the notice to lien agent. If the notice is received by email, the acknowledgment sent by the lien agent must include the email received, including the header showing the date and time of receipt.

(5) Within three business days of receipt of any notice to lien agent by a potential lien claimant relating to improved real property for which the lien agent has not been designated as the lien agent, provide written notice to the potential lien claimant that it is not the designated lien agent for the improved property, by the same method used by the potential lien claimant in delivering the notice to lien agent.

(6), (6a) Repealed by Session Laws 2013-117, s. 3, effective June 22, 2013, and applicable to improvements to real property affected hereby for which the first furnishing of labor or materials at the site of the improvements is on or after that date.

(7) Provide written notice of the potential lien claimants having delivered notice to lien agent pursuant to G.S. 44A-11.2, including the information relating to any contractor identified by the owner pursuant to G.S. 44A-11.2(g), and relating to any design professional identified by the owner pursuant to G.S. 44A-11.2(h), within one business day of receiving a request from any of the following persons or their authorized agents:

a. An owner of the improved property.

b. A title insurance company or title insurance agency issuing a policy of title insurance on the improved property.

c. A contracted purchaser of the improved property.

d. A potential lien claimant.

e. A closing attorney, lender, or settlement agent as defined in G.S. 45A-3(15) involved in a transaction involving the improved property.

In responding to a request pursuant to this subdivision, the lien agent shall include the information provided by each potential lien claimant pursuant to G.S. 44A-11.2(i)(1) and G.S. 44A-11.2(i)(2) and, if specifically requested, a copy of each notice to lien agent received by the lien agent.

(8) Transfer all notices received and other documentation thereof to any successor lien agent designated by the owner upon termination under G.S. 44A-11.1(d).

(9) Receive cancellations of notices to lien agent and renewals of notices to lien agent pursuant to G.S. 44A-11.2.

(c) A registered lien agent may revoke its consent and be removed from the list of lien agents by providing written notification of its revocation of consent to the Department of Insurance and to all owners by whom the lien agent has been designated pursuant to G.S. 44A-11.1 at least 30 days in advance of the effective date of its revocation of consent.

(d) For services rendered pursuant to each designation as a lien agent for improvements to real property comprising one- or two-family dwellings, a lien agent shall collect a fee of thirty dollars ($30.00) from the owner. For services rendered pursuant to each designation as a lien agent for all other improvements to real property, the lien agent shall collect a fee of fifty-eight dollars ($58.00) from the owner.

(e) The Department shall publish on its Web site a current list of lien agents registered pursuant to this section. (2012-158, s. 3; 2013-16, s. 7; 2013-117, s. 3; 2017-168, s. 3.)