WV Code § 23-2-14 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 23. Workers' Compensation|Article 2. Employers and Employees Subject to Chapter; Extraterritorial Coverage|§23-2-14. Sale or Transfer of Business; Attachment of Lien for Premium, etc.; Payments Due; Criminal Penalties for Failure to Pay; Creation and Avoidance or Elimination of Lien; Enforcement of Lien; Successor Liability

(a) If any employer sells or otherwise transfers substantially all of the employer's assets, so as to give up substantially all of the employer's capacity and ability to continue in the business in which the employer has previously engaged:(1) The employer's premium taxes, premium deposits, interest and other payments owed to the commission are due and owing to the commission upon the execution of the agreement of sale or other transfer;(2) Any repayment agreement entered into by the employer with the commission pursuant to section five of this article terminates upon the execution of the agreement of sale or other transfer and all amounts owed to the commission but not yet paid become due; and(3) Upon execution of an agreement of sale or other transfer, as aforesaid, the commission shall continue to have a lien, as provided for in section five-a of this article, against all of the remaining property of the employer as well as all of the sold or transferred assets. The lien constitutes a personal obligation of the employer.(b) Notwithstanding any provisions of section five-a of this article to the contrary, in the event that a new employer acquires by sale or other transfer or assumes all or substantially all of a predecessor employer's assets:(1) Any liens for payments owed to the commission for premium taxes, premium deposits, interest or other payments owed to the commission by the predecessor employer shall be extended to the successor employer;(2) Any liens held by the commission against the predecessor employer's property shall be extended to all of the assets of the successor employer; and(3) Liens acquired in the manner described in subdivisions (1) and (2) of this subsection are enforceable by the commission to the same extent as provided for the enforcement of liens against the predecessor employer in section five-a of this article.(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of section five-a of this article to the contrary, if any employer as described in subsection (a) of this section sells or otherwise transfers a portion of the employer's assets so as to affect the employer's capacity to do business:(1) The employer's premium taxes, premium deposits, interest and other payments owed to the commission are due and owing to the commission upon the execution of the agreement of sale or other transfer;(2) Any repayment agreement entered into by the employer with the commission pursuant to section five of this article terminates upon the execution of the aforesaid agreement of sale or other transfer and all amounts owed to the commission but not yet paid shall become due; and(3) Upon execution of an agreement of sale or other transfer, as aforesaid, the commission shall continue to have a lien, as provided for in section five-a of this article, against all of the remaining property of the employer as well as all the sold or transferred assets. The lien constitutes a personal obligation of the employer.(d) If an employer subject to subsection (a), (b) or (c) of this section pays to the commission, prior to the execution of an agreement of sale or other transfer, a sum sufficient to retire all of the indebtedness that the employer would owe at the time of the execution, the commission shall issue a certificate to the employer stating that the employer's account is in good standing with the commission and that the assets may be sold or otherwise transferred without the attachment of the commission's lien. An agreement of sale or other transfer may provide for the creation of an escrow account into which the employers shall pay the full amount owed to the commission. The subsequent timely payment of that full amount to the commission operates to place both employers in good standing with the commission to the extent of the predecessor employer's liabilities retroactive to the date of sale or other transfer. In the event that the employer would not owe any sum to the commission on the aforesaid date of execution, a certificate shall also be issued to the employer upon the employer's request stating that the employer's account is in good standing with the commission and that the assets may be sold or otherwise transferred without the attachment of the commission's lien.(e) As used in this article, the term "assets" means all property of whatever type in which the employer has an interest including, but not limited to, goodwill, business assets, customers, clients, contracts, access to leases such as the right to sublease, assignment of contracts for the sale of products, operations, stock of goods or inventory, accounts receivable, equipment or transfer of substantially all of its employees.(f) The transfer of any assets of the employer is presumed to be a transfer of all or substantially all of the assets if the transfer affects the employer's capacity to do business. The presumption can be overcome upon petition presented and an administrative hearing in accordance with section seventeen of this article.(g) The provisions of this section are expressly intended to impose upon successor employers the duty of obtaining from the commission or predecessor employer, prior to the date of the acquisition, a valid "certificate of good standing to transfer a business or business assets" to verify that the predecessor employer's account with the commission is in good standing.