RCW 48.05.140 Certificate of authority—Discretionary refusal, revocation, suspension.

The commissioner may refuse, suspend, or revoke an insurer's certificate of authority, in addition to other grounds therefor in this code, if the insurer:

(1) Fails to comply with any provision of this code other than those for violation of which refusal, suspension, or revocation is mandatory, or fails to comply with any proper order or regulation of the commissioner.

(2) Is found by the commissioner to be in such condition that its further transaction of insurance in this state would be hazardous to policyholders and the people in this state.

(3) Refuses to remove or discharge a director or officer who has been convicted of any crime involving fraud, dishonesty, or like moral turpitude.

(4) Usually compels claimants under policies either to accept less than the amount due them or to bring suit against it to secure full payment of the amount due.

(5) Is affiliated with and under the same general management, or interlocking directorate, or ownership as another insurer which transacts insurance in this state without having a certificate of authority therefor, except as is permitted by this code.

(6) Refuses to be examined, or if its directors, officers, employees or representatives refuse to submit to examination or to produce its accounts, records, and files for examination by the commissioner when required, or refuse to perform any legal obligation relative to the examination.

(7) Fails to pay any final judgment rendered against it in this state upon any policy, bond, recognizance, or undertaking issued or guaranteed by it, within thirty days after the judgment became final or within thirty days after time for taking an appeal has expired, or within thirty days after dismissal of an appeal before final determination, whichever date is the later.

(8) Is found by the commissioner, after investigation or upon receipt of reliable information, to be managed by persons, whether by its directors, officers, or by any other means, who are incompetent or untrustworthy or so lacking in insurance company managerial experience as to make a proposed operation hazardous to the insurance-buying public; or that there is good reason to believe it is affiliated directly or indirectly through ownership, control, reinsurance or other insurance or business relations, with any person or persons whose business operations are or have been marked, to the detriment of policyholders or stockholders or investors or creditors or of the public, by bad faith or by manipulation of assets, or of accounts, or of reinsurance.

(9) Does business through insurance producers or title insurance agents in this state or in any other state who are not properly licensed under applicable laws and duly enacted regulations adopted pursuant thereto.

[ 2008 c 217 § 2; 1973 1st ex.s. c 152 § 1; 1969 ex.s. c 241 § 3; 1967 c 150 § 4; 1947 c 79 § .05.14; Rem. Supp. 1947 § 45.04.14.]

NOTES:

Severability—Effective date—2008 c 217: See notes following RCW 48.03.020.

Severability—1973 1st ex.s. c 152: "If any provision of this 1973 amendatory act, or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act, or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected." [ 1973 1st ex.s. c 152 § 7.]