(a) A covered person and a borrower may agree that the covered person will keep in an escrow account all money that the borrower is required to pay to defray future taxes or insurance premiums or for other lawful purposes. The escrow account must be segregated from the other accounts of the covered person and be subject to a written escrow agreement. The covered person may not commingle the borrower's money with the general funds of the covered person. Money deposited in an escrow account under this subsection shall be maintained in the account until it is disbursed in accordance with the written escrow agreement.

(b) A covered person may not require a borrower to pay money into escrow to defray future taxes, to defray insurance premiums, or for another purpose, in connection with a subordinate mortgage loan, unless an escrow account for that purpose is not being maintained for the mortgage loan that is superior to the subordinate mortgage loan.

(c) If the billing address of a covered person who is holding money in escrow for insurance premiums changes, the covered person shall notify the insurer in writing about the change of billing address within 30 days after the change or 60 days before the renewal date of the insurance policy, whichever is later.

(d) A covered person who accepts money belonging to a borrower in connection with a mortgage loan shall deposit all of the money into an escrow account maintained by the covered person in a bank or another recognized depository institution. In this subsection, “recognized depository institution” means a person who is organized as a financial institution under the laws of a state or the federal government and whose deposits are insured by a federal agency.

(e) Money held in an escrow account under this section is exempt from execution, attachment, or garnishment under AS 09.38 and is not subject to a claim under AS 09.38.065.

(f) In this section, “escrow account” means an account

(1) to which a borrower makes payments for obligations related to the real property that is the subject of a residential mortgage loan of the borrower;

(2) held by a third person; and

(3) from which the third person identified in (2) of this subsection disburses money in accordance with a written agreement to pay obligations related to the real property that is the subject of a residential mortgage loan of the borrower.