A title insurance company is alleging a woman who owned a Hermitage business had been "misappropriating'' funds in a banking account she controlled on behalf of the firm resulting in a loss exceeding $600,000.

First American Title Insurance Co., a California company, said that for more than a year Joan E. Ansell, owner of Ansell Settlements LLC, among other things, failed to properly disburse and handle funds as required by contract and used the money for her personal benefit, according to the company's suit.

At First American's request, last week Mercer County Common Pleas Judge Thomas R. Dobson ordered bank accounts at National City Bank under Ms. Ansell's control be frozen. In a hearing on Friday, Dobson approved further motions by First American whereby the company be given access and allowed to conduct an audit of the accounts dating back to Aug. 10, 1998, when Ansell Settlements first began working as an agent for the company.

Ms. Ansell's attorney notified First American around July 30 that there were insufficient funds in trust accounts she oversaw to cover issued checks, according to First American's suit. But she refused to turn over requested records and books concerning the accounts as required by contract. Further, she failed to explain why money was missing and would only say "the funds no longer exist,'' the suit said.

Ms. Ansell had been acting as an agent on behalf of First American, the suit said.

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