New York Consolidated Laws, Insurance Law - ISC § 6407. Restrictions on dividends

(a) No title insurance corporation shall declare or pay any cash or property dividend on its capital shares, or declare or distribute a stock dividend except out of earned surplus, meaning, for the purpose of this section, surplus not attributable to contributions made to surplus within five years next preceding or to appreciation in value of investments not sold or otherwise disposed of.

(b) No such corporation shall declare or pay any cash or property dividend to shareholders which, together with all such dividends declared or paid by it during the next preceding twelve months, exceeds ten percent of its then outstanding capital shares unless, after deducting such dividends, it has a surplus to policyholders at least equal to fifty percent of its reinsurance reserve or a surplus at least equal to fifty percent of the minimum capital required of such insurer to transact the business of title insurance, whichever shall be greater. For the purpose of this section, “surplus” means the amount of the insurer's admitted assets in excess of (i) all of its liabilities, including its reinsurance reserve, and (ii) its outstanding capital shares.

(c) No such corporation shall declare or distribute any stock dividend which shall reduce surplus to an amount less than fifty percent of its then outstanding capital shares.