California Law (Last Updated: March 4, 2014) |
Insurance Code - INS |
Division 1. GENERAL RULES GOVERNING INSURANCE |
Part 2. THE BUSINESS OF INSURANCE |
Chapter 4. Foreign Insurers |
ARTICLE 4. Actions Against Nonadmitted Insurers |
Section 1620.
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(a) The provisions of the preceding sections of this article shall not apply to any action, suit, or proceeding against any unauthorized foreign or alien insurer arising out of any contract of insurance effected in accordance with Section 1760, 1760.5, 1763, or 1763.1, or, if the contract is governed by and complies with the laws of the state in which the contract was entered. The provisions of Section 1610 shall apply to any action, suit, or proceeding under this section unless the insurer has designated an agent in California for service of process or the contract contains a provision designating a resident of this state or any firm of which one member is a resident of this state to be its true and lawful attorney upon whom may be served all lawful process in any action, suit, or proceeding.
(b) In any action, suit, or proceeding arising out of any such contract of insurance, the court may require the insurer to file a bond, in an amount sufficient to secure the payment of any final judgment which may be rendered unless one or more of the following are applicable:
(1) The insurer makes a showing satisfactory to the court that it maintains in a state of the United States funds or securities in trust or otherwise, sufficient and available to satisfy any such final judgment and that it will pay the judgment without requiring suit to be brought thereon in the state where the securities or funds are located.
(2) At the time the insurer files any pleading in any action, suit, or proceeding instituted against it, the insurer is an eligible surplus line insurer in accordance with Section 1765.1, unless by facts presented to the court there is created a reasonable doubt as to the present ability of the insurer to satisfy any final judgment in the action, suit, or proceeding. Upon request of a party or the court, the unauthorized foreign or alien insurer or reinsurer shall provide the court and the party requesting the bond with copies of documents relating to the financial condition of the insurer, including, but not limited to, copies of the insurer's most recent annual statement and audited financial report and, where applicable, a certified copy of the trust agreement required by subdivision (b) of Section 1765.2 and a verified copy of the most recent quarterly statement or list of assets in the trust.
(3) With respect to a contract of reinsurance issued in accordance with Section 1760.5, the reinsurer has complied with the provisions of this code necessary to permit the ceding insurer to take credit on its financial statement for the reinsurance as set forth in Section 922.4 or 922.5.