An account that is held by a lender or an escrow agent, for a particular purpose defined in the escrow agreement controlling the account. When the conditions in the escrow agreement are triggered, such as when the tax bill comes due, the funds needed for that purpose are paid out of the escrow account.
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An escrow is a contractual arrangement in which a third party (the stakeholder or escrow agent) receives and disburses money or property for the primary transacting parties, with the disbursement dependent on conditions agreed to by the transacting parties. Examples include an account established by a broker for holding funds on behalf of the broker's principal or some other person until the consummation or termination of a transaction; or, a trust account held in the borrower's name to pay obligations such as property taxes and insurance premiums. The word derives from the Old French word escroue, meaning a scrap of paper or a scroll of parchment; this indicated the deed that a third party held until a transaction was completed.
