Title 33, Chapter 37, Section 17
( 33-37-17)
(a) An order to liquidate the business of a domestic insurer shall
appoint the Commissioner and his successors in office liquidator and
shall direct the liquidator forthwith to take possession of the
assets of the insurer and to administer them under the general
supervision of the court. The liquidator shall be vested by
operation of law with the title to all of the property, contracts,
and rights of action, and all of the books and records of the
insurer ordered liquidated, wherever located, as of the entry of the
final order of liquidation. The filing or recording of the order
with the clerk of the superior court and the recorder of deeds of
the county in which its principal office or place or business is
located, or, in the case of real estate, with the recorder of deeds
of the county where the property is located, shall impart the same
notice as a deed, bill of sale, or other evidence of title duly
filed or recorded with that recorder of deeds would have imparted. (b) Upon issuance of the order, the rights and liabilities of any such insurer and of its creditors, policyholders, shareholders, members, and all other persons interested in its estate shall become fixed as of the date of entry of the order of liquidation, except as provided in Code Sections 33-37-18 and 33-37-36. (c) An order to liquidate the business of an alien insurer domiciled
in this state shall be in the same terms and have the same legal
effect as an order to liquidate a domestic insurer, except that the
assets and the business in the United States shall be the only
assets and business included therein. (d) At the time of petitioning for an order of liquidation, or at
any time thereafter, the Commissioner, after making appropriate
findings of an insurer's insolvency, may petition the court for a
judicial declaration of such insolvency. After providing such
notice and hearing as it deems proper, the court may make the
declaration. (e) Any order issued under this Code section shall require financial
reports to the court by the liquidator. Financial reports shall
include at a minimum the assets and liabilities of the insurer and
all funds received or disbursed by the liquidator during the current
period. Financial reports shall be filed within one year of the
liquidation order and at least annually thereafter. (f)(1) Within ten days of July 1, 1991, or, if later, within five
days after the initiation of an appeal of an order of liquidation,
which order has not been stayed, the Commissioner shall present
for the court's approval a plan for the continued performance of
the defendant company's policy claims obligations, including the
duty to defend insureds under liability insurance policies, during
the pendency of an appeal. Such plan shall provide for the
continued performance and payment of policy claims obligations in
the normal course of events, notwithstanding the grounds alleged
in support of the order of liquidation including the ground of
insolvency. In the event the defendant company's financial
condition will not, in the judgment of the Commissioner, support
the full performance of all policy claims obligations during the
appeal pendency period, the plan may prefer the claims of certain
policyholders and claimants over creditors and interested parties
as well as other policyholders and claimants as the Commissioner
finds to be fair and equitable considering the relative
circumstances of such policyholders and claimants. The court
shall examine the plan submitted by the Commissioner and if it
finds the plan to be in the best interests of the parties, the
court shall approve the plan. No action shall lie against the
Commissioner or any of his deputies, agents, clerks, assistants,
or attorneys by any party based on preference in an appeal
pendency plan approved by the court. (2) The appeal pendency plan shall not supersede or affect the
obligations of any insurance guaranty association. (3) Any such plans shall provide for equitable adjustments to be
made by the liquidator to any distributions of assets to guaranty
associations, in the event that the liquidator pays claims from
assets of the estate, which would otherwise be the obligations of
any particular guaranty association but for the appeal of the
order of liquidation, such that all guaranty associations equally
benefit on a pro rata basis from the assets of the estate.
Further, in the event an order of liquidation is set aside upon
any appeal, the company shall not be released from delinquency
proceedings unless and until all funds advanced by any guaranty
association, including reasonable administrative expenses in
connection therewith relating to obligations of the company, shall
be repaid in full, together with interest at the judgment rate of
interest or unless an arrangement for repayment thereof has been
made with the consent of all applicable guaranty associations. |