Ticor Title Co. of Cal. v. Minkovitch CA2/5

I. BACKGROUND1

A. The Underlying Purchase In 2013, cross-complainant and appellant Yan Minkovitch (Yan) engaged the services of cross-defendants and respondents Ticor Title Company of California (Ticor) and Lawyers Title Company (Lawyers Title) to provide him and his then-wife, Lina Minkovitch (Lina), with title insurance and escrow services in connection with their purchase of real property located at 4949 Palo Drive, Tarzana, California 91356 (the property). The parties discovered Yan had a credit history that jeopardized the couple’s ability to jointly obtain financing. Lina, however, could qualify for the loan on her own. Yan and Lina accordingly decided she would purchase the property in her name alone. Before the purchase transaction closed, Ticor and Lawyers Title demanded Yan execute a real property quitclaim deed in favor of Lina. The final escrow instructions, however, did not specifically demand the execution of the quitclaim deed. They did provide, though, that Lawyers Title was “authorized to prepare,

1 Our factual recitation is taken from the operative cross- complaint’s allegations and attached exhibits. (See generally Yvanova v. New Century Mortgage Corp.…