State Codes and Statutes

Statutes > Arkansas > Title-23 > Subtitle-3 > Chapter-96 > 23-96-119

23-96-119. Distributions of ownership rights.

A. (1) Prior to the termination of any liquidation, rehabilitation, or conservation proceeding, the court may take into consideration the contributions of the respective parties, including the Association, the shareholders, and policy owners of the insolvent insurer, and any other party with a bona fide interest, in making an equitable distribution of the ownership rights of such insolvent insurer. In such determination, consideration shall be given to the welfare of the policy owners of the continuing or successor insurer.

(2) No distribution to stockholders, if any, of an impaired or insolvent insurer shall be made until and unless the total amount of valid claims of the Association with interest thereon for funds expended in carrying out its powers and duties under 23-96-111 -- 23-96-114 and 23-96-120 with respect to such insurer have been fully recovered by the Association.

B. (1) If an order for liquidation or rehabilitation of an insurer domiciled in this state has been entered, the receiver appointed under such order shall have a right to recover on behalf of the insurer, from any affiliate that controlled it, the amount of distributions, other than stock dividends paid by the insurer on its capital stock, made at any time during the five (5) years preceding the petition for liquidation or rehabilitation subject to the limitations of paragraphs (2)-(4) of this subsection.

(2) No such distribution shall be recoverable if the insurer shows that, when paid, the distribution was lawful and reasonable and that the insurer did not know and could not reasonably have known that the distribution might adversely affect the ability of the insurer to fulfill its contractual obligations.

(3) (a) Any person who was an affiliate that controlled the insurer at the time the distributions were paid shall be liable up to the amount of distributions he received.

(b) Any person who was an affiliate that controlled the insurer at the time the distributions were declared shall be liable up to the amount of distributions he would have received if they had been paid immediately.

(c) If two (2) or more persons are liable with respect to the same distributions, they shall be jointly and severally liable.

(4) The maximum amount recoverable under this subsection shall be the amount needed in excess of all other available assets of the insolvent insurer to pay the contractual obligations of the insolvent insurer.

(5) If any person liable under paragraph (3) of this subsection is insolvent, all its affiliates that controlled it at the time the distribution was paid shall be jointly and severally liable for any resulting deficiency in the amount recovered from the insolvent affiliate.