reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
WV Code § 33-22-11 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 33. Insurance|Article 22. Farmers' Mutual Fire Insurance Companies|§33-22-11. Surplus or Emergency Fund

(a) Each company may accumulate a surplus or emergency fund in an amount determined advisable by its board of directors.(b) The first $25,000 of the accumulated surplus shall be in cash or invested in government securities described in subdivision (1) or (2), subsection (a), section twenty-four, article eight of this chapter or subdivision (1), (2) or (3), subsection (c) of said section, and the balance of the surplus may be invested in any of the other classes of investments described in article eight of this chapter subject to the limitations as to each class provided therein.(c) All assets of the company other than the accumulated surplus shall be in cash or invested in the government securities described in subdivision (1) or (2), subsection (a), section twenty-four, article eight of this chapter or subdivision (1), (2) or (3), subsection (c) of said section: Provided, That any company having received an extension of its license to permit it to issue policies of insurance pursuant to subsection (c), section eight, article twenty-two of this chapter shall with the prior approval of the commissioner be permitted to invest all assets of the company other than the accumulated surplus in the investments that are authorized by sections twenty-three through thirty-two, inclusive, of said article.
WV Code § 33-22-12 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 33. Insurance|Article 22. Farmers' Mutual Fire Insurance Companies|§33-22-12. Limit of Risk

No such company shall insure any single risk comprising a building and contents or other property so located as to be subject to destruction by a single fire for a greater amount than $1,000 until its insurance in force shall be as much as $500,000, nor shall it then insure any such risks for an amount greater than one fifth of one percent of the net insurance in force under its policies or ten percent of its surplus, whichever is greater, unless the risks insured by the company in excess of the amounts above stipulated are simultaneously covered by reinsurance.Any company having received an extension of its license to permit it to issue policies of insurance pursuant to subsection (c), section eight of this article shall be subject to the provisions of section sixteen, article four of this chapter.
WV Code § 33-22-13 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 33. Insurance|Article 22. Farmers' Mutual Fire Insurance Companies|§33-22-13. Reinsurance; Joint Policies

(a) Such company may procure reinsurance or issue policies of reinsurance to other licensed insurers transacting like kinds of insurance, subject to the provisions of section fifteen, article four of this chapter.(b) Two or more such companies may issue policies jointly.
WV Code § 33-22-14 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 33. Insurance|Article 22. Farmers' Mutual Fire Insurance Companies|§33-22-14. Notices to Members

All notices of cancellation of policies or reduction thereof and all other notices to members required by this article shall be delivered personally or mailed in a sealed envelope addressed to the last-known address of the member and when so given they shall be deemed sufficient and binding upon the member so notified.
WV Code § 33-22-15 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 33. Insurance|Article 22. Farmers' Mutual Fire Insurance Companies|§33-22-15. Termination, Cancellation or Suspension of Membership

(a) Any member of a company may withdraw therefrom upon written notice to the company. Every member so withdrawing shall immediately surrender his policy and pay to the extent of his liability as stated in the policy, all of his indebtedness legally due the company.(b) No member shall be liable for losses or expenses occurring subsequent to the time of termination of his membership.(c) The company may cancel any policy upon at least five days' written notice to the holder.(d) A company may, in its bylaws, provide for the suspension of its liability for loss upon any policy from the date when an unpaid assessment becomes due if notice is given to the member five days before the suspension is to become effective, and the payment of such assessment shall only reinstate such policy from the date of such payment, but no allowance shall be made in any assessment because of such suspension.
WV Code § 33-22-16 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 33. Insurance|Article 22. Farmers' Mutual Fire Insurance Companies|§33-22-16. Fees

Such company at the time of making its annual report shall pay to the commissioner a filing fee of $25, all fees so collected to be used for the purposes specified in section thirteen, article three of this chapter. No other fees or taxes shall be levied against such companies except the agent's license fee, the form filing fee required by the provisions of section thirty-four, article six of this chapter and the expenses of examination thereof by the commissioner.
WV Code § 33-22-17 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 33. Insurance|Article 22. Farmers' Mutual Fire Insurance Companies|§33-22-17. Member's Share of Assets Upon Liquidation

Upon the liquidation of any such company, the share of each member in the assets shall be computed and distributed in the manner provided in section twenty-nine of article five of this chapter for computing and distributing the share of members of other types of domestic mutual insurers.
WV Code § 33-22-18 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 33. Insurance|Article 22. Farmers' Mutual Fire Insurance Companies|§33-22-18. Mergers and Consolidations

(a) A farmers' mutual fire insurance company may not merge or consolidate with any stock insurer.(b) A farmers' mutual fire insurance company may merge or consolidate with another farmers' mutual fire insurance company or merge with a domestic mutual insurer in the manner provided in section twenty-eight, article five of this chapter for the merger or consolidation of other types of domestic mutual insurers.
WV Code § 33-22-19 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 33. Insurance|Article 22. Farmers' Mutual Fire Insurance Companies|§33-22-19. Conversion to Stock or Mutual Insurer

(a) A farmers' mutual fire insurance company may become a stock insurer in the manner provided in section twenty-four of article five of this chapter for converting other types of domestic mutual insurers to domestic stock insurers, or(b) A farmers' mutual fire insurance company may become a domestic mutual insurer pursuant to such plan and procedure as may be approved in advance by the commissioner, subject to approval by vote of not less than three fourths of the company's current members voting thereon in person, by proxy, or by mail at a meeting of members called for that purpose pursuant to such notice and procedure as may be approved by the commissioner, and subject to such company as reorganized complying with all requirements of this chapter relating to the initial organization and licensing of a domestic mutual insurer transacting like kinds of insurance as those proposed to be transacted by the reorganized company.
WV Code § 33-23-1 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 33. Insurance|Article 23. Fraternal Benefit Societies|§33-23-1. Scope of Article

Every fraternal benefit society shall be governed by the provisions of this article and by no other provisions of this chapter except such provisions as are specifically made applicable and referred to in this article.
WV Code § 33-23-2 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 33. Insurance|Article 23. Fraternal Benefit Societies|§33-23-2. Applicability of Other Provisions

Every fraternal benefit society shall be governed and be subject to the same extent as other insurers transacting like kinds of insurance, to the following articles of this chapter: Article one (definitions); article two (Insurance Commissioner); article four (general provisions); section thirty, article six (fee for form and rate filing); article seven (assets and liabilities); article ten (rehabilitation and liquidation); article eleven (unfair trade practices); article twelve (agents, brokers, solicitors and excess lines); article thirteen (life insurance); article thirteen-a (variable contracts); article fifteen-a (long-term care insurance); article twenty-seven (insurance holding company systems); article thirty-three (annual audited financial report); article thirty-four (administrative supervision); article thirty-four-a (standards and commissioner's authority for companies considered to be in hazardous financial condition); article thirty-five(criminal sanctions for failure to report impairment); article thirty-seven(managing general agents); and article thirty-nine (disclosure of material transactions).
WV Code § 33-23-2a (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 33. Insurance|Article 23. Fraternal Benefit Societies|§33-23-2a. Applicability of Insurance Fraud Prevention Act

Notwithstanding any provision of this code to the contrary, article forty-one of this chapter is applicable to fraternal benefit societies.
WV Code § 33-23-3 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 33. Insurance|Article 23. Fraternal Benefit Societies|§33-23-3. Fraternal Benefit Societies Defined

Any incorporated society, order or supreme lodge, without capital stock, including one exempted under the provisions of subparagraph (2) of paragraph (a) of section thirty-four of this article whether incorporated or not, conducted solely for the benefit of its members and their beneficiaries and not for profit, operated on a lodge system with ritualistic form of work, having a representative form of government, and which makes provision for the payment of benefits in accordance with this article, is hereby declared to be a fraternal benefit society. When used in this article the word "society," unless otherwise indicated, shall mean fraternal benefit society.
WV Code § 33-23-4 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 33. Insurance|Article 23. Fraternal Benefit Societies|§33-23-4. Lodge System Defined

A society having a supreme legislative or governing body and subordinate lodges or branches by whatever name known, into which members are elected, initiated or admitted in accordance with its Constitution, laws, ritual and rules, which subordinate lodges or branches shall be required by the laws of the society to hold regular meetings at least once in each month, shall be deemed to be operating on the lodge system.
WV Code § 33-23-5 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 33. Insurance|Article 23. Fraternal Benefit Societies|§33-23-5. Representative Form of Government Defined

A society shall be deemed to have a representative form of government when:(a) It provides in its Constitution or laws for a supreme legislative or governing body, composed of representatives elected either by the members or by delegates elected directly or indirectly by the members, together with such other members of such body as may be prescribed by the society's Constitution and laws;(b) The representatives elected constitute a majority in number and have not less than two thirds of the votes nor less than the votes required to amend its Constitution and laws;(c) The meetings of the supreme legislative or governing body and the election of officers, representatives or delegates are held as often as once in four calendar years;(d) Each insured member shall be eligible for election to act or serve as a delegate to such meeting;(e) The society has a board of directors charged with the responsibility for managing its affairs in the interim between meetings of its supreme legislative or governing body, subject to control by such body and having powers and duties delegated to it in the Constitution or laws of the society;(f) Such board of directors is elected by the supreme legislative or governing body, except in case of filling a vacancy in the interim between meetings of such body;(g) The officers are elected either by the supreme legislative or governing body or by the board of directors; and(h) The members, officers, representatives or delegates shall not vote by proxy.
WV Code § 33-23-7 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 33. Insurance|Article 23. Fraternal Benefit Societies|§33-23-7. Retention of Corporate Powers by Existing Incorporated Societies

Any incorporated society licensed to transact insurance in this state at the time this article becomes effective may thereafter exercise all the rights, powers and privileges prescribed in this article and in its charter, articles of incorporation and license as far as consistent with this article. A domestic incorporated society shall not be required to reincorporate.
WV Code § 33-23-8 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 33. Insurance|Article 23. Fraternal Benefit Societies|§33-23-8. Incorporation of Existing Voluntary Associations

(a) After one year from the effective date of this article, no unincorporated or voluntary association shall be permitted to transact business in this state.(b) Any domestic voluntary association now licensed to transact insurance in this state may incorporate and shall receive from the commissioner a license as a fraternal benefit society when:(1) It shall have completed its conversion to an incorporated society not later than one year from the effective date of this article;(2) It has filed its articles of incorporation and has satisfied the other requirements described in section six of this article; and(3) The commissioner shall have made such examination and procured whatever additional information he shall deem advisable.(c) Every voluntary association so incorporated shall incur the obligations and enjoy the benefits thereof the same as though originally incorporated, and such corporation shall be deemed a continuation of the original voluntary association. The officers thereof shall serve through their respective terms as provided in its original articles of association, but their successors shall be elected and serve as provided in its articles of incorporation. Incorporation of a voluntary association shall not affect existing suits, claims or contracts.
WV Code § 33-23-9 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 33. Insurance|Article 23. Fraternal Benefit Societies|§33-23-9. Office and Meetings of Domestic Society

The principal office of any domestic society shall be located in this state. The meetings of its supreme legislative or governing body may be held in any state, district, province or territory wherein such society has at least five subordinate branches and all business transacted at such meetings shall be as valid in all respects as if such meetings were held in this state.
WV Code § 33-23-11 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 33. Insurance|Article 23. Fraternal Benefit Societies|§33-23-11. Conversion of Society to Mutual Life Insurer

Any domestic fraternal benefit society may be converted and licensed as a mutual life insurance company by compliance with all the requirements of this chapter for the initial licensing of a domestic mutual life insurer, if such plan of conversion has been approved by the commissioner. Such plan shall be prepared in writing setting forth in full the terms and conditions thereof. The board of directors shall submit such plan to the supreme legislative or governing body of such society at any regular or special meeting thereof, by giving a full, true and complete copy of such plan with the notice of such meeting. Such notice shall be given as provided in the laws of the society for the convocation of a regular or special meeting of such body, as the case may be. The affirmative vote of two thirds of all members of such body shall be necessary for the approval of such agreement. No such conversion shall take effect unless and until approved by the commissioner who may give such approval if he finds that the proposed change is in conformity with the requirements of law and not prejudicial to the certificate holders of the society.
WV Code § 33-23-12 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 33. Insurance|Article 23. Fraternal Benefit Societies|§33-23-12. Qualifications for Benefit Membership

(a) A society may admit to benefit membership any person not less than fifteen years of age, nearest birthday, who has furnished evidence of insurability acceptable to the society. Any such member who shall apply for additional benefits more than six months after becoming a benefit member shall pass an additional medical examination, or make an additional declaration of insurability, as required by the society.(b) Any person admitted prior to attaining the full age of twenty-one years shall be bound by the terms of the application and certificate and by all the laws and rules of the society and shall be entitled to all the rights and privileges of membership therein to the same extent as though the age of majority had been attained at the time of application. A society may also admit general or social members who shall have no voice or vote in the management of its insurance affairs.
WV Code § 33-23-13 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 33. Insurance|Article 23. Fraternal Benefit Societies|§33-23-13. Amendment of Articles of Incorporation, Constitution or Laws

(a) A domestic society may amend its articles of incorporation, Constitution or laws in accordance with the provisions thereof by action of its supreme legislative or governing body at any regular or special meeting thereof or, if its articles of incorporation, Constitution or laws so provide, by referendum. Such referendum may be held in accordance with the provisions of its articles of incorporation, Constitution or laws by the vote of the voting members of the society, by the vote of delegates or representatives of voting members or by the vote of local lodges or branches. No amendment submitted for adoption by referendum shall be adopted unless, within six months from the date of submission thereof, a majority of all of the voting members of the society shall have signified their consent to such amendment by one of the methods herein specified.(b) No amendment to the articles of incorporation, Constitution or laws of any domestic society shall take effect unless approved by the commissioner who shall approve such amendment if he finds that it has been duly adopted and is not inconsistent with any requirement of the laws of this state or with the character, objects and purposes of the society. Unless the commissioner shall disapprove any such amendment within sixty days after the filing of same, such amendment shall be considered approved. The approval or disapproval of the commissioner shall be in writing and mailed to the secretary or corresponding officer of the society at its principal office. In case he disapproves such amendment, the reasons therefor shall be stated in such written notice.(c) Within ninety days from the approval thereof by the commissioner, all such amendments, or a synopsis thereof, shall be furnished to all members of the society either by mail or by publication in full in the official organ of the society. The affidavit of any officer of the society or of anyone authorized by it to mail any amendments or synopsis thereof, stating facts which show that same have been duly addressed and mailed, shall be prima facie evidence that such amendments or synopsis thereof, have been furnished the addressee.(d) Every foreign or alien society authorized to do business in this state shall file with the commissioner a duly certified copy of all amendments of, or additions to, its articles of incorporation, Constitution or laws within ninety days after the enactment of same.(e) Printed copies of the Constitution or laws as amended, certified by the secretary or corresponding officer of the society shall be prima facie evidence of the legal adoption thereof.
WV Code § 33-23-14 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 33. Insurance|Article 23. Fraternal Benefit Societies|§33-23-14. Operation of Charitable, Benevolent or Educational Institutions

(a) It shall be lawful for a society to create, maintain and operate charitable, benevolent or educational institutions for the benefit of its members and their families and dependents and for the benefit of children insured by the society. For such purpose it may own, hold or lease personal property or real property located within or without this state, with necessary buildings thereon. Such property shall be reported in every annual statement but shall not be allowed as an admitted asset of such society.(b) Maintenance, treatment and proper attendance in any such institution may be furnished free or a reasonable charge may be made therefor, but no such institution shall be operated for profit. The society shall maintain a separate accounting of any income and disbursements under this section and report them in its annual statement. No society shall own or operate funeral homes or undertaking establishments.
WV Code § 33-23-15 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 33. Insurance|Article 23. Fraternal Benefit Societies|§33-23-15. Payment of Benefits Other Than Insurance Benefits

(a) A society may pay benefits, other than insurance benefits to its members from any special account or fund maintained for such purpose; provided that if such benefits are of such a nature that they could constitute benefits within the classes of insurance set forth in section seventeen of this article, a society making such payments may not:(1) Make any separate charge therefor;(2) Issue any certificate, policy or other document promising such payments;(3) Provide in its Constitution, laws or any other document that such payments may be received by the member as a matter of right; or(4) Advertise such payments as insurance or as payments to which the member has any right.(b) The society shall maintain a separate accounting of all disbursements made under this section and report them in its annual statement.
WV Code § 33-23-16 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 33. Insurance|Article 23. Fraternal Benefit Societies|§33-23-16. No Personal Liability for Payment of Benefits

The officers and members of the supreme, grand or any subordinate body of a society shall not be personally liable for payment of any benefits provided by a society.
WV Code § 33-23-17 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 33. Insurance|Article 23. Fraternal Benefit Societies|§33-23-17. Kinds of Benefits Authorized

(1) A society licensed in this state may provide for the payment of:(a) Death benefits in any form;(b) Endowment benefits;(c) Annuity benefits;(d) Temporary or permanent disability benefits as a result of disease or accident;(e) Hospital, medical or nursing benefits due to sickness or bodily infirmity or accident;(f) Monument or tombstone benefits to the memory of deceased members not exceeding in any case the sum of $300.(2) Such benefits may be provided on the lives of members or, upon application of a member, on the lives of the member's family, including the member, the member's spouse and minor children, in the same or separate certificates.
WV Code § 33-23-18 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 33. Insurance|Article 23. Fraternal Benefit Societies|§33-23-18. Benefits on Lives of Children

(a) A society may provide for benefits on the lives of children under the minimum age for adult membership but not greater than twenty-one years of age at time of application therefor, upon the application of some adult person, as its laws or rules may provide, which benefits shall be in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (1) of section seventeen of this article. A society may, at its option, organize and operate branches for such children. Membership and initiation in local lodges shall not be required of such children, nor shall they have a voice in the management of the society.(b) A society shall have power to provide for the designation and changing of designation of beneficiaries in the certificates providing for such benefits and to provide in all other respects for the regulation, government and control of such certificates and all rights, obligations and liabilities incident thereto and connected therewith.