507C.33 Recovery of premiums owed.

1. a. An agent, broker, premium finance company or any other person responsible for the payment of a premium is obligated to pay an unpaid premium for the full policy term due the insurer at the time of the declaration of insolvency, whether earned or unearned, as shown on the records of the insurer. The liquidator shall also have the right to recover from the person any part of an unearned premium that represents commission of the person. Credits or setoffs or both shall not be allowed to an agent, broker, or premium finance company for amounts advanced to the insurer by the agent, broker, or premium finance company on behalf of, but in the absence of a payment by, the insured.

b. Notwithstanding paragraph “a”, the agent, broker, premium finance company, or other person, is not liable for uncollected unearned premium of the insurer. A presumption exists that the premium as shown on the books of the insurer is collected and the burden is upon the agent, broker, premium finance company, or other person to demonstrate by a preponderance of the evidence that the unearned premium was not actually collected. For purposes of this paragraph, “unearned premium” means that portion of an insurance premium covering the unexpired term of the policy or the unexpired period of the policy period.

c. An insured is obligated to pay an unpaid earned premium due the insurer as shown on the records of the insurer at the time of the declaration of insolvency.

2. Upon satisfactory evidence of a violation of this section, the commissioner may pursue either one or both of the following courses of action:

a. Suspend or revoke or refuse to renew the licenses of the offending party or parties.

b. Impose a penalty of not more than one thousand dollars for each act in violation of this section by the party or parties.

3. Before the commissioner shall take any action as set forth in subsection 2, the commissioner shall give written notice to the person, company, association, or exchange accused of violating the law, stating specifically the nature of the alleged violation, and fixing a time and place, at least ten days thereafter, when a hearing on the matter shall be held. After such hearing, or upon failure of the accused to appear at the hearing, if a violation is found the commissioner shall impose those penalties under subsection 2 as deemed advisable.

4. When the commissioner shall take action in any or all of the ways set out in subsection 2, the party aggrieved may appeal from the action to court.

84 Acts, ch 1175, §33; 91 Acts, ch 213, §3

Referred to in §507C.30