(A) A transferee shall file an application under sections 2323.58 to 2323.585 of the Revised Code for the approval in advance of a transfer of structured settlement payment rights in the probate division of the court of common pleas of the county in which the payee resides, except that if the structured settlement agreement was approved by a court of common pleas or other Ohio state court, the application shall be filed in the Ohio state court that approved the structured settlement agreement.

(B) The following procedures shall apply to an application for the approval in advance by a court of a transfer of structured settlement payment rights under division (A) of this section:

(1) The court shall hold a timely hearing on the application . The payee shall appear in person at the hearing unless the court determines that good cause exists to excuse the payee from appearing in person.

(2) Not less than twenty days prior to the date set by the court for the hearing on an application filed pursuant to this section, the transferee shall file with the court and shall serve on all interested parties, including a parent or other guardian or authorized legal representative of any interested party who is not legally competent, in the manner prescribed in the Rules of Civil Procedure for the service of process, a notice of the proposed transfer and the application for its approval in advance. The notice shall include all of the following:

(a) A copy of the application;

(b) A copy of the transfer agreement;

(c) A copy of the disclosure statement provided by the transferee pursuant to section 2323.582 of the Revised Code ;

(d) The payee's name, age, and county of residence and the number and ages of each of the payee's dependents;

(e) A summary of both of the following:

(i) Any prior transfers by the payee to the transferee or an affiliate, or through the transferee or an affiliate to an assignee, within the four years preceding the date of the transfer agreement and any proposed transfers by the payee to the transferee or an affiliate, or through the transferee or an affiliate to an assignee, applications for approval of which were denied within the two years preceding the date of the transfer agreement;

(ii) Any prior transfers by the payee to any person or entity other than the transferee or an affiliate, or an assignee of the transferee or an affiliate, within the three years preceding the date of the transfer agreement and any prior proposed transfers by the payee to any person or entity other than the transferee or an affiliate, or an assignee of a transferee or affiliate, applications for approval of which were denied within the one year preceding the date of the current transfer agreement, to the extent that the transfers or proposed transfers have been disclosed to the transferee by the payee in writing or otherwise are actually known to the transferee.

(f) Notification of the date, time, and place of the hearing on the application;

(g) Notification that any interested party may support, oppose, or otherwise respond to the application, either in person or by counsel, by submitting to the court a written response containing the interested party's support of, opposition to, or comments on the application or by participating in the hearing;

(h) Notification of the manner of filing a written response to the application and the time within which the response is required to be filed, which time shall be not less than fifteen days after the service of the transferee's notice, in order for the court to consider it.

Amended by 132nd General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 223, §1, eff. 3/23/2018.

Effective Date: 10-27-2000 .