§ 27-5-22. Application of special reserve fund to protection of policyholders.
Whenever the claims upon a fire insurance company shall exceed the amount of its capital stock and of the guaranty surplus fund provided for by this chapter, the company shall notify the insurance commissioner of the fact, who shall then make or cause to be made an examination of the company, and shall issue his or her certificate of the result, showing the amounts of capital, of guaranty surplus fund, of special reserve fund, of reinsurance liability, and of other assets. Upon the issuing of that certificate in duplicate, one copy to be given to the company and one to be recorded in the office of the insurance commissioner, the special reserve fund shall be immediately held to protect all policyholders of the company other than those that are claimants upon it at the date of the certificate, and the special reserve fund together with other assets, certified by the insurance commissioner as equal in value to the amount of the unearned premiums of the company, to be ascertained as provided in this chapter, shall constitute the capital and assets of the company for the protection of policyholders other than the claimants and for the further conduct of its business, and any official certificate of the insurance commissioner shall be binding and conclusive upon all parties interested in the company, whether as stockholders, creditors, or policyholders. Upon the payment to the claimants, who are claimants at the date of the certificate, of the full sum of the capital of the company and of its guaranty surplus fund and of its assets at that date, excepting only the special reserve fund and an amount of its assets equal to the liability of the company for unearned premiums, as certified in this manner by the insurance commissioner, the company shall be forever discharged from any and all further liability to the claimants and to each of them, and the insurance commissioner shall, after issuing his or her certificate, upon the demand of the company, transfer to it all securities that have been deposited with the commissioner by the company as the special reserve fund, and if the amount of the special reserve fund is less than fifty percent (50%) of the full amount of the capital of the company, a requisition shall be issued by the insurance commissioner upon the stockholders to make up the capital to that proportion of its full amount; provided, that any capital impaired in this manner shall be made up at least to the sum of two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000), and in case the company, after the requisition, shall fail to make up its capital at least to the sum of two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000), the special reserve fund shall still be held as security and liable for any and all losses occurring upon policies of the company.
History of Section.
P.L. 1907, ch. 1438, § 8; G.L. 1909, ch. 219, § 33; G.L. 1923, ch. 255, § 33; G.L. 1938, ch. 150, § 32; impl. am. P.L. 1953, ch. 3174, § 5; G.L. 1956, § 27-5-22.