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</v:background></xml><![endif]--><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:windowtext;mso-ligatures:none'>Good morning all. This is a reminder that you are on a committee to review the WLTA’s dues structure, particularly with respect to how dues for agent members are calculated and how all dues (agents and underwriters) can be equitably allocated between and among all members.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:windowtext;mso-ligatures:none'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:windowtext;mso-ligatures:none'>The members of this committee are:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:windowtext;mso-ligatures:none'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:windowtext;mso-ligatures:none'>Paul Hofmann, Chair (agent)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:windowtext;mso-ligatures:none'>Roger Johnson (agent)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:windowtext;mso-ligatures:none'>Megan Powell (underwriter)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:windowtext;mso-ligatures:none'>Chris Rollins (underwriter)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:windowtext;mso-ligatures:none'>Ashley Callahan (WLTA President; de facto member of all committees)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:windowtext;mso-ligatures:none'>George Peters (Co-Executive Director; de facto member of all committees)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:windowtext;mso-ligatures:none'>Sean Holland (Co-Executive Director; de facto member of all committees)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:windowtext;mso-ligatures:none'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:windowtext;mso-ligatures:none'>(You are all included in the listserv email <a href="mailto:2025duesreviewcommittee@washingtonlandtitle.com">2025duesreviewcommittee@washingtonlandtitle.com</a>; you should have gotten an email Friday notifying you of the creation of the listserv and your addition to it.)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:windowtext;mso-ligatures:none'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:windowtext;mso-ligatures:none'>Attached are the list of WLTA members showing 2025 dues. There are 3 documents:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:windowtext;mso-ligatures:none'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:windowtext;mso-ligatures:none'>Calculation sheet for underwriters (note that Doma will not be a separate dues paying underwriter; acquired by TRGC)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:windowtext;mso-ligatures:none'>Underwriter List with Dues<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:windowtext;mso-ligatures:none'>Agent List with Dues<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:windowtext;mso-ligatures:none'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:windowtext;mso-ligatures:none'>BACKGROUND:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:windowtext;mso-ligatures:none'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><ol style='margin-top:0in' start=1 type=1><li class=MsoNormal style='color:windowtext;mso-list:l6 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-ligatures:none'>The current dues structure dates to about 10 years ago, created by Jack Lancaster. Note that the WLTA’s year in January to December, so the budget is adopted near the end of the year, dues are calculated and invoices prepared by the end of December and emailed to members on January 1 or 2. The contact information for dues purposes are shown on the attached lists.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ol><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:windowtext;mso-ligatures:none'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><ol style='margin-top:0in' start=2 type=1><li class=MsoNormal style='color:windowtext;mso-list:l6 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-ligatures:none'>The formula adopted provided that underwriters would pay 70% of the budget for dues, and agents would pay 30%. <o:p></o:p></span></li></ol><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:windowtext;mso-ligatures:none'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><ol style='margin-top:0in' start=3 type=1><li class=MsoNormal style='color:windowtext;mso-list:l6 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-ligatures:none'>The 70% share paid by underwriters would be further allocated based on publicly reported income. This information is available on the ALTA’s website. Note that the full year is not available when the dues are calculated, so the income that is used is for the full previous year that is reported. Thus, when the dues for 2025 were calculated, the only full reported year was for 2024.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ol><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:windowtext;mso-ligatures:none'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><ol style='margin-top:0in' start=4 type=1><li class=MsoNormal style='color:windowtext;mso-list:l6 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-ligatures:none'>The 30% share paid by agents would be further allocated among agents based on the population of counties served by that agent. (NOTE: It was deemed important in that income for agent members would not be reported or available for disclosure; it is not public like underwriter income.) As an alternative approach, Jack created a population range as shown on the attached agent list. Each year when dues are calculated, the percentage increase/decrease from the year before is applied to each range number.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ol><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:windowtext;mso-ligatures:none'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><ol style='margin-top:0in' start=5 type=1><li class=MsoNormal style='color:windowtext;mso-list:l6 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-ligatures:none'>The number of independently owned agents has been significantly reduced over the years. A small agent might be acquired by another agent, or an agent of any size might be acquired by an underwriter. The WLTA bylaws state that FOR DUES PURPOSES an agent is considered part of an underwriter if that agent is more than 50% owned by that underwriter. Thus, while such an agent is shown in the WLTA directory as an agent member, it does not pay separate dues.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ol><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:windowtext;mso-ligatures:none'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><ol style='margin-top:0in' start=6 type=1><li class=MsoNormal style='color:windowtext;mso-list:l6 level1 lfo3'><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-ligatures:none'>This reduction in the number of dues paying agents (as shown on the agent dues list; see the “x’d” out entries) does not reflect the original intent of the dues structure. This is not to say the dues structure then or now was good or bad, or better or worse – only that it was considered equitable then and is not equitable now based on the original formula. <o:p></o:p></span></li></ol><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:windowtext;mso-ligatures:none'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:windowtext;mso-ligatures:none'>The committee should start its deliberations. One function might be to contact other associations around the country. (As my personal comment: Note that some associations’ membership might be based on individuals. This would be a complex and difficult formula to work with. Aside from trying to maintain a database of individuals, invoicing and collecting dues, employees of companies might not all be dues paying members, for example. It would appear that maintaining membership our structure of company members would be more practical.)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:windowtext;mso-ligatures:none'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:windowtext;mso-ligatures:none'>Paul, do you want to organize a Zoom meeting?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:windowtext;mso-ligatures:none'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:windowtext'>George<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:windowtext'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#1F497D'>George Peters, WTP<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#1F497D'>Co-Executive Director<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#1F497D'>Washington Land Title Association<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="https://washingtonlandtitle.com/"><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#0563C1'>https://washingtonlandtitle.com</span></a><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:windowtext'> </span><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#1F497D'>Mail: PO Box 328, Lynnwood, WA 98046<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#1F497D'>Delivery: 6817 208<sup>th</sup> St SW, #328, Lynnwood, WA 98036<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#1F497D'>206-437-5869 (Mobile)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:#1F497D'>206-260-4731 (Fax)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="mailto:execdirector@wltaonline.org"><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:blue'>execdirector@washingtonlandtitle.com</span></a><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:windowtext'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:windowtext;mso-ligatures:none'><img border=0 width=169 height=97 style='width:1.7583in;height:1.0083in' id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image002.jpg@01DBFD85.4BD7E780" alt="WLTA Logo w-Ring Blue 1a"><img border=0 width=95 height=95 style='width:.9916in;height:.9916in' id="Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:image003.jpg@01DBFD85.4BD7E780"></span><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;color:windowtext'>This is a confidential communication intended solely for the named recipient. If you are not the intended recipient, please destroy it and call George Peters at 206-437-5869 immediately. Thank you.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>