645.31 Grounds for rehabilitation. The commissioner may apply by verified petition to the circuit court for Dane County or for the county in which the principal office of the insurer is located for an order directing rehabilitation of a domestic insurer or an alien insurer domiciled in this state on any one or more of the following grounds:

(1) Any ground on which the commissioner may apply for an order of liquidation under s. 645.41, whenever he or she believes that the insurer may be successfully rehabilitated without substantial increase in the risk of loss to creditors of the insurer or to the public.

(2) That the commissioner has reasonable cause to believe that there has been embezzlement from the insurer, wrongful sequestration or diversion of the insurer's assets, forgery or fraud affecting the insurer or other illegal conduct in, by or with respect to the insurer, that if established would endanger assets in an amount threatening the solvency of the insurer.

(3) That information coming into the commissioner's possession has disclosed substantial and not adequately explained discrepancies between the insurer's records and the most recent annual report or other official company reports.

(4) That the insurer has failed to remove any person who in fact has executive authority in the insurer, whether an officer, manager, general agent, employee or other person, if the person has been found by the commissioner after notice and hearing to be dishonest or untrustworthy in a way affecting the insurer's business.

(5) That control of the insurer, whether by stock ownership or otherwise, and whether direct or indirect, is in one or more persons who are dishonest or untrustworthy.

(6) That any person who in fact has executive authority in the insurer, whether an officer, manager, general agent, employee or other person, has refused to be examined under oath by the commissioner concerning its affairs, whether in this state or elsewhere, and after reasonable notice of the fact the insurer has failed promptly and effectively to terminate the employment and status of the person and all his or her influence on management.

(7) That after demand by the commissioner the insurer has failed to submit promptly any of its own property, books, accounts, documents or other records, or those of any subsidiary or other affiliate within the control of the insurer, or those of any person having executive authority in the insurer so far as they pertain to the insurer, to reasonable inspection or examination by the commissioner or the commissioner's authorized representative. If the insurer is unable to submit the property, books, accounts, documents or other records of a person having executive authority in the insurer, it shall be excused from doing so if it promptly and effectively terminates the relationship of the person to the insurer.

(8) That less than 30 days after reporting the proposed action to the commissioner unless it is earlier approved by the commissioner, or after the action has been disapproved by the commissioner, the insurer has transferred, or attempted to transfer, substantially its entire property or business, or has entered into any transaction the effect of which is to merge, consolidate or reinsure substantially its entire property or business in or with the property or business of any other person.

(9) That the insurer or its property has been or is the subject of an application for the appointment of a receiver, trustee, custodian, conservator or sequestrator or similar fiduciary of the insurer or its property otherwise than as authorized under this chapter, and that such appointment has been made or is imminent, and that such appointment might oust the courts of this state of jurisdiction or prejudice orderly delinquency proceedings under this chapter.

(10) That within the previous year the insurer has willfully violated its charter or articles of incorporation or its bylaws or any insurance law or regulation of any state, or of the federal government, or any valid order of the commissioner under s. 645.21, or having become aware within the previous year of an unintentional violation has failed to take all reasonable steps to remedy the situation resulting from the violation and to prevent future violations.

(11) That the directors of the insurer are deadlocked in the management of the insurer's affairs and that the members or shareholders are unable to break the deadlock and that irreparable injury to the insurer, its creditors, its policyholders or the public is threatened by reason thereof.

(12) That the insurer has failed to pay for 60 days after due date any obligation to this state or any political subdivision thereof or any judgment entered in this state, except that such nonpayment shall not be a ground until 60 days after any good faith effort by the insurer to contest the obligation has been terminated, whether it is before the commissioner or in the courts.

(13) That the insurer has failed to file its annual report or other report within the time allowed by law, and after written demand by the commissioner has failed to give an adequate explanation immediately.

(14) That two-thirds of the board of directors, or the holders of a majority of the shares entitled to vote, or a majority of members or policyholders of an insurer subject to control by its members or policyholders, consent to rehabilitation under this chapter.

(15) That the insurer is a health maintenance organization insurer that has violated s. 609.95 or 609.98.

(16) That the insurer has corporate governance deficiencies such that the commissioner determines that the continued operation of the insurer may be hazardous to the insurer's policyholders, creditors, or the general public.

History: 1971 c. 260; 1979 c. 93; 1979 c. 102 ss. 201, 236 (13), (14); 1989 a. 23; 2015 a. 197 s. 51; 2017 a. 313.