(a) A title insurance company, title insurance agent, or independent escrowee shall not make disbursements in connection with any escrows, settlements, or closings out of a fiduciary trust account or accounts unless the funds in the aggregate amount of $50,000 or greater received from any single party to the transaction are good funds as defined in paragraphs (2), (6), or (7) of subsection (c) of this Section; or are collected funds as defined in subsection (d) of this Section.
     For the purposes of this subsection (a), where funds in the aggregate amount of $50,000 or greater are received from any purchaser of residential real property, as defined in paragraph (14) of Section 3 of this Act, the aggregate amount may consist of good funds of less than $50,000 per paragraph, as defined in paragraphs (3) and (5) of subsection (c) of this Section and of up to $5,000 in good funds, as defined in paragraph (4) of subsection (c) of this Section.

Terms Used In Illinois Compiled Statutes 215 ILCS 155/26

  • Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
  • Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
  • State: when applied to different parts of the United States, may be construed to include the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" may be construed to include the said district and territories. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 5 ILCS 70/1.14
  • Trust account: A general term that covers all types of accounts in a trust department, such as estates, guardianships, and agencies. Source: OCC
  • Uniform Commercial Code: A set of statutes enacted by the various states to provide consistency among the states' commercial laws. It includes negotiable instruments, sales, stock transfers, trust and warehouse receipts, and bills of lading. Source: OCC
  • United States: may be construed to include the said district and territories. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 5 ILCS 70/1.14

     (a-5) In addition to the good funds disbursement authorization set forth in subsection (a) of this Section, a title insurance company, title insurance agent, or independent escrowee is authorized to make disbursements in connection with any escrows, settlements, or closings out of a fiduciary trust account or accounts where the funds in the aggregate amount of $50,000 or greater are received from any single party to the transaction if:
         (1) the funds are transferred by a cashier’s check,
    
teller’s check, or certified check, as defined in the Uniform Commercial Code, that is drawn on or issued by a financial institution, as defined in this Act;
        (2) the title insurance company, title insurance
    
agent, or independent escrowee and the financial institution, as defined in this Act, agree to the use of cashier’s checks, teller’s checks, or certified checks to disburse the loan and related closing costs being funded by the financial institution as good funds under item (3) of subsection (c) of this Section; and
        (3) the cashier’s check, teller’s check, or certified
    
check is delivered to the title insurance company, title insurance agent, or independent escrowee in sufficient time for the check to be deposited into the title insurance company’s, title insurance agent’s, or independent escrowee’s fiduciary trust account prior to disbursement from the fiduciary trust account of the title insurance company, title insurance agent, or independent escrowee.
    (b) A title insurance company or title insurance agent shall not make disbursements in connection with any escrows, settlements, or closings out of a fiduciary trust account or accounts unless the funds in the amount of less than $50,000 received from any single party to the transaction are collected funds or good funds as defined in subsection (c) of this Section.
     (c) “Good funds” means funds in one of the following forms:
         (1) lawful money of the United States;
         (2) wired funds unconditionally held by and credited
    
to the fiduciary trust account of the title insurance company, the title insurance agent, or independent escrowee;
        (3) cashier’s checks, certified checks, bank money
    
orders, official bank checks, or teller’s checks drawn on or issued by a financial institution and unconditionally held by the title insurance company, title insurance agent, or independent escrowee;
        (4) a personal check or checks in an aggregate amount
    
not exceeding $5,000 per closing, provided that the title insurance company, title insurance agent, or independent escrowee has reasonable grounds to believe that sufficient funds are available for withdrawal in the account upon which the check is drawn at the time of disbursement;
        (5) a check drawn on the trust account of any lawyer
    
or real estate broker licensed under the laws of any state, provided that the title insurance company, title insurance agent, or independent escrowee has reasonable grounds to believe that sufficient funds are available for withdrawal in the account upon which the check is drawn at the time of disbursement;
        (6) a check issued by this State, the United States,
    
or a political subdivision of this State or the United States; or
        (7) a check drawn on the fiduciary trust account of a
    
title insurance company, title insurance agent, or independent escrowee, provided that the title insurance company, title insurance agent, or independent escrowee has reasonable grounds to believe that sufficient funds are available for withdrawal in the account upon which the check is drawn at the time of disbursement.
    (d) “Collected funds” means funds deposited, finally settled, and credited to the title insurance company, title insurance agent, or independent escrowee’s fiduciary trust account.
     (e) A purchaser, a seller, or a lender is each considered a single party to the transaction for the purposes of this Section, regardless of the number of people or entities making up the purchaser, seller, or lender.
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