Not Not Creating a Title Insurance Behemoth

The off and on combination of Land America Financial Group with Fidelity National Title Title is back again. LandAmerica press release: LandAmerica Signs Stock Purchase Agreement for Underwriters.

The two signed a merger, then Fidelity terminated, now they restructured the transaction again. This time, Fidelity is purchasing the Lawyers Title and Commonwealth Land Title subsidiaries.

The parent holding company and its 1031 exchange company are filing for bankruptcy. That sounds like bad news for anyone with cash sitting in a LandAmerica 1031 account. It turns out that the company had $290 million invested in auction rate securities as part of the its 1031 business.[Fitch Downgrades LandAmerica's IFS to 'BB'; on Watch Negative] Perhaps that is what Fidelity saw during its diligence and decided to cancel the original deal.

That means Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company and Lawyers Title Insurance Corporation will combine with Fidelity National Title, Chicago Title, Ticor Title, Security Union Title and Alamo Title.

Its unclear how the transactions will impact employees and agents of LandAmerica, Lawyers Title and Commonwealth Title. David Stejkowski of the The Dirt Lawyer's Blog thinks it will be good for agents to "have the backing of the 800 pound gorilla in writing policies."

The combined company will have almost half of the real estate title insurance market, based on the Demotech Performance of Title Insurance Companies 2008 Edition.

See my prior posts:

• Not Creating a Title Insurance Behemoth
• Creating a Title Insurance Behemoth
  

Disclaimers

Not Creating a Title Insurance Behemoth

Fidelity National Financial, Inc. (NYSE: FNF - News) canceled its plans to acquire LandAmerica Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: LFG - News) . The combination would have created a behemoth that controlled almost half of the title insurance market.

Under the agreement, Fidelity National had discretion to terminate the merger on or before Nov. 21 under its contractual due diligence termination right. Fidelity exercised that termination.

LFG's stock price plunged over 80% today on that news. On Nov. 10, LandAmerica reported in its third-quarter results that it was no longer in compliance with financial debt covenants and hadn't yet obtained waivers, putting into a growing list of companies with "growing concern doubts."

See also:

• Busted Deal Slams LandAmerica - Wall Street Journal
• So Much For That Merger - David Stejkowski of The Dirt Lawyer's Blog
• LandAmerica Moves Forward - LandAmerica Investor Relations
  

Disclaimers

A Look at Commercial Real Estate Debt

The Real Estate and Real Estate Capital Markets Group at Goodwin Procter put together A Look at Commercial Real Estate Debt: Where We Are Now and Where We May Be Going.


Disclaimers

Creating a Title Insurance Behomoth

Fidelity National Financial, Inc. (NYSE: FNF - News) and LandAmerica Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: LFG - News) today announced the signing of a definitive merger agreement under which FNF will acquire LFG. [Press Release]

That means Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company and Lawyers Title Insurance Corporation will combine with Fidelity National Title, Chicago Title, Ticor Title, Security Union Title and Alamo Title.

The combined company will have almost half of the real estate title insurance market, based on the Demotech Performance of Title Insurance Companies 2008 Edition.


Disclaimers