20-1104. Insurable interest with respect to personal insurance; definition

A. Any individual of competent legal capacity may procure or effect an insurance contract on his own life or body for the benefit of any person. But no person shall procure or cause to be procured any insurance contract on the life or body of another individual unless the benefits under such contract are payable to the individual insured or his personal representatives, or to a person having, at the time when the contract was made, an insurable interest in the individual insured.

B. If the beneficiary, assignee or other payee under any contract made in violation of this section receives from the insurer any benefits thereunder accruing on the death, disablement or injury of the individual insured, the individual insured or his executor or administrator, as the case may be, may maintain an action to recover such benefits from the person so receiving them.

C. " Insurable interest" with reference to personal insurance includes only interests as follows:

1. In the case of individuals related closely by blood or by law, a substantial interest engendered by love and affection.

2. In the case of other persons, a lawful and substantial economic interest in having the life, health or bodily safety of the individual insured continue, as distinguished from an interest which would arise only by, or would be enhanced in value by, the death, disablement or injury of the individual insured.

3. An individual party to a contract or option for the purchase or sale of an interest in a business partnership or firm, or of shares of stock of a closed corporation or of an interest in the shares, has an insurable interest in the life of each individual party to the contract and for the purposes of the contract only, in addition to any insurable interest which may otherwise exist as to the life of the individual.

4. A charitable organization as provided in section 501(c)(3) of the internal revenue code, which has a policy ownership interest has an insurable interest in the life of each proposed insured who joins with the charitable organization in applying for a life insurance policy naming the charitable organization as owner and irrevocable beneficiary.