58-19-45. Injunctions; prohibitions against the voting of securities; sequestration of voting securities.

(a) Whenever it appears to the Commissioner that any person has committed or is about to commit a violation of this Article or of any rule or order of the Commissioner under this Article, the Commissioner may apply to the Superior Court of Wake County for an order enjoining such person from violating or continuing to violate this Article or any such rule or order; and for such other equitable relief as the nature of the case and the interest of the domestic insurer's policyholders or the public may require.

(b) No security that is the subject of any agreement or arrangement regarding acquisition, or that is acquired or to be acquired, in contravention of the provisions of this Article or of any rule or order of the Commissioner under this Article, may be voted at any shareholder's meeting nor may be counted for quorum purposes; and any action of shareholders requiring the affirmative vote of a percentage of shares may be taken as though such securities were not issued and outstanding. No action taken at any such meeting shall be invalidated by the voting of such securities, unless the action would materially affect control of the insurer or unless the courts of this State have so ordered. If an insurer or the Commissioner has reason to believe that any security of the insurer has been or is about to be acquired in contravention of the provisions of this Article or of any rule or order issued by the Commissioner under this Article, the insurer or the Commissioner may apply to the Superior Court of Wake County to enjoin any offer, request, invitation, agreement, or acquisition made in contravention of G.S. 58-19-15 or any rule or order of the Commissioner under that section to enjoin the voting of any security so acquired, to void any vote of such security already cast at any meeting of shareholders, and for such other equitable relief as the nature of the case and the interest of the insurer's policyholders or the public may require.

(c) In any case where a person has acquired or is proposing to acquire any voting securities in violation of this Article or any rule or order of the Commissioner under this Article, the Superior Court of Wake County may, on such notice as the court considers appropriate and upon the application of the insurer or the Commissioner, seize or sequester any voting securities of the insurer owned directly or indirectly by the person, and issue an order with respect thereto as may be appropriate to effectuate the provisions of this Article. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, for the purposes of this Article the sites of the ownership of the securities of domestic insurers are in this State.