INDIANAPOLIS -- More than $150,000 has been set aside to help dozens of Indiana homeowners left behind on their bills after the sudden closure of a Chicago-based escrow company.

The Indiana attorney general filed suit in July against American Escrow seeking restitution for 76 homeowners in Boone, Johnson, Hancock and Marion counties who have had to deal with late fees after their property tax and insurance bills were not paid, 6News' Rafael Sanchez reported.

The homeowners, as part of their mortgage deals, made payments to American Escrow with the understanding that it would pay property taxes or insurance bills.

The company stopped making those payments in 2009, citing financial problems, but many homeowners didn't find out until they began receiving late payment notices from county treasurer offices.

"They put us in a hurt, in a bind. We had no money to back us up," said Donna Kays, whose family had to pay their property taxes twice. "If we could get some money back, I'd be happy to get some back."

The funds now set aside for homeowners by the Legislature come from what is collected in fines from businesses that violate state security laws.

"We went after that money to make these people whole," said Rep. Jeb Bardon, chair of the House Financial Institutions Committee.

The fund is only for Indiana residents.

The attorney general office is now also working on a claims process to ensure homeowners get refunds.