INTRODUCTION Who We Are Attorneys Title Guaranty ATGF, Inc. (ATGF) was founded in 1960 and began doing business in 1962. ATGF is the only Colorado underwriter whose agents consist almost exclusively of licensed attorneys. The Denver location is the home office for ATGF operations in Colorado, Minnesota, Utah, and North Dakota. ATGF is owned by Colorado, Utah and Minnesota attorneys, and Attorneys Title Insurance Fund, Inc. of Florida. The ATGF Concept and Bar-Related* Title Insurance The concept of bar-related title insurance began in Florida in 1947 with the creation of Attorneys Title Insurance Fund, Inc. of Florida ("Florida Fund"). The Florida Fund is the largest Bar-Related* title insurance company in the country, boasting a membership in excess of 6,000 attorney agents. Currently there are six other "bar-related" title insurance companies located in Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Vermont. Although all are members of the North American Bar Related Title Insurers (NABRTI), each is an independent entity. Each of these Bar-Related* title companies adhere to the Florida Fund concept, which consists of three maxims: (1) In real estate transactions, title should be examined by a competent attorney. (2) The attorney examining title should have the means to insure the accuracy of both the search and examination while protecting clients against title risks at a nominal cost. (3) This should be a routine service available to consumers through the attorney's office. About the Member Manual The Member Manual has been designed to provide member agents with a basic introduction to providing title insurance and instructions regarding procedures to be followed. The Manual is not intended to be an exhaustive treatment of all issues involving the issuance of title insurance, but instead a guide to address some of the common title issues encountered over the years by agents of ATGF.