Legislation Effective June 18, 2026

32 V.S.A. Sect. 9602 Tax on Transfer of Title to Property

Any previous process or attempts to circumvent the higher tax rate of 3.4% should be approached with extreme caution based on the following additional section (5) added to 32 V.S.A. Sect. 9602.

(5) If the transfer would have been subject to the tax rate under subdivision (4) of this section but for the transferee’s filing of a landlord certificate of rent for which there is no bona fide landlord-tenant relationship between the parties, the Commissioner shall assess tax at the rate under subdivision (4) of this section on the transfer. To make this determination, the Commissioner may consider whether the transferee and tenant are related parties, whether the transferee charges the tenant fair market.

Legislative Summary

In addition to the above-referenced amendment to 32 V.S.A. Sect. 9602, please find a comprehensive overview of the 2026 legislative session and in- depth look at real estate specific changes in our 2026 Vermont Legislative Summary to CATIC. Included here are also Bills that did not pass. We recommend reviewing these as well, as they may resurface in the following year. We welcome your comments regarding any of the legislation included herein.

June CLE Event and Future Seminars Announcement

We are pleased to share that our annual CLE event was a great success. Thank you to everyone who attended—we truly appreciate your participation and look forward to our fall seminar series, which will begin in November.

The feedback from our June event was overwhelmingly positive, with many attendees expressing a strong preference to continue meeting in person in the Montpelier area. We’re excited to begin planning the next event!

Don't Let Fraud Slip Through: Strengthen Your Defenses Today

Check fraud and other fraudulent activities are escalating, creating significant and ongoing challenges for offices throughout Vermont.

Tools like Positive Pay, Reverse Positive Pay or ACH blocks can help stop unauthorized or altered transactions before they clear your account. Click here to read more about these tools.

Work Smarter with Electronic Submission and Remittance 


Mail delays and missed payments can slow down your workflow and create unnecessary follow-up. Electronic submission and remittance options offer a faster, more reliable way to keep your policies and premiums on track.

Here are a few easy ways to simplify the process:

Electronic Submission of Policies: Whether you are a PrepExpress Online User or a Third-Party Software User, electronic submission helps reduce mailing delays and lost documents while keeping your policy processing moving efficiently.

Electronic Remittance of Premiums: Available through VersaPay, this option allows you to remit premiums electronically and communicate directly with CATIC’s Accounts Payable Department. It is a simple way to avoid mail delays and keep payments moving. Click here to learn more.

Flexible Options: If you prefer to submit policies electronically but still want to mail CATIC’s portion of the title insurance premium, that is no problem. Email or call Katie to discuss the option that works best for your office.

Switching to electronic submissions and payments can save time, reduce risk, and make your remittance process more efficient. We are here to help you get started.

Wire Fraud Prevention Tools Available for CATIC Agents

Wire fraud is an issue that still plagues the title insurance industry, and the consequences can be devastating. Always stay vigilant and make sure to verify your payoff instructions before acting. CATIC has partnered with the following companies that offer wire fraud prevention and ID verification services to protect our agents during the closing process. 

Closinglock provides an easy-to-use, secure platform that connects title companies to their customers from contact to close.

CATIC agents receive 50% off the one-time initial set up fee, with affordable monthly pricing.

To request a demo and qualify for CATIC's exclusive pricing discount, email catic@closinglock.com.

CATIC has partnered with IDVerse to help stop identity fraud and home title forgeries.

What You Can Expect From Using IDVerse Verification:

• Precise fraud detection: 99.99% facial matching accuracy, proven by the world's toughest testing labs.
• Fully-automated, real-time decision: AI-powered and faster, more effective ID verification.
• Intuitively designed for everyone: A fully accessible, unbiased, intuitive process to reduce human error.

To schedule a demo, contact Donna Pizzoferrato at dpizzoferrato@catic.com.

TruePay is Secure Insight’s latest technology innovation to combat electronic bill payment and lien payoff fraud.

Click here to sign up.

Use promo code "CATICAGENTS" when signing up for TruePay to receive 15% off any credit subscription plan of your choice.

CertifID prevents wire fraud. Through digital identity and device verification the solution enables secure and timely real estate wire transfers all backed by insurance.

To request a demo, reach out to Katie or click here.

If you have any questions or wish to learn more about these companies, please contact Katie.

CATIC Night at the VT Lake Monsters

Date: August 7, 2026

Time: Gates open at 5:30 with the BBQ starting at the same time.

Location: Centennial Field, 287 Colchester Ave., Burlington, VT

Join fellow CATIC agents, their staff members, and family for a BBQ and an evening under the lights as the Lake Monsters take on the Worcester Bravehearts. We'll provide tickets to the game, BBQ dinner and $10 in ballpark spending money! Please email Katie with any questions.

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