20-401.04. Action by attorney general to enforce order or decision of court or director; foreign decrees

A. The attorney general upon request of the director may proceed in the courts of this state or any reciprocal state to enforce an order or decision in any court proceeding, in any administrative proceeding before the director of insurance or any foreign decree.

B. The director of insurance of this state shall determine which states and territories qualify as reciprocal states and shall maintain at all times an up-to-date list of such states.

C. A copy of any foreign decree authenticated as provided by the laws of this state may be filed in the office of the clerk of any superior court of this state. The clerk, upon verifying with the director of insurance that the decree or order qualified as a foreign decree, shall treat the foreign decree in the same manner as a decree of a superior court of this state. A foreign decree so filed has the same effect and shall be deemed as a decree of a superior court of this state, and is subject to the same procedures, defenses and proceedings for reopening, vacating, or staying as a decree of a superior court of this state and may be enforced or satisfied in like manner.

D. At the time of the filing of the foreign decree, the attorney general shall make and file with the clerk of the court an affidavit setting forth the name and last known post office address of the defendant.

E. Promptly upon the filing of the foreign decree and the affidavit, the clerk shall mail notice of the filing of the foreign decree to the defendant at the address given and to the director of insurance of this state and shall make a note of the mailing in the docket. In addition, the attorney general may mail a notice of the filing of the foreign decree to the defendant and to the director of insurance of this state and may file proof of mailing with the clerk. Lack of mailing notice of filing by the clerk shall not affect the enforcement proceedings if proof of mailing by the attorney general has been filed.

F. No execution or other process for enforcement of a foreign decree filed under this section shall issue until thirty days after the date the decree is filed.

G. If the defendant shows the superior court that an appeal from the foreign decree is pending or will be taken, or that a stay of execution has been granted, the court shall stay enforcement of the foreign decree until the appeal is concluded, the time for appeal expires, or the stay of execution expires or is vacated, upon proof that the defendant has furnished the security for the satisfaction of the decree required by the state in which it was rendered.

H. If the defendant shows the superior court any ground upon which enforcement of a decree of any superior court of this state would be stayed, the court shall stay enforcement of the foreign decree for an appropriate period, upon requiring the same security for satisfaction of the decree which is required in this state.