2023 Montana Code Annotated › Title 33. Insurance and Insurance Companies › Chapter 2. Regulation of Insurance Companies › Part 13. Supervision, Rehabilitation, and Liquidation › 33-2-1345. Powers of liquidator

33-2-1345. Powers of liquidator.
(1) The liquidator may:
(a) appoint a special deputy to act for the liquidator under this part and determine the deputy's reasonable compensation. The special deputy has all powers of the liquidator granted by this section. The special deputy serves at the pleasure of the liquidator.
(b) employ insurance producers, legal counsel, actuaries, accountants, appraisers, consultants, and other personnel necessary to assist in the liquidation;
(c) fix the reasonable compensation of employees and insurance producers, legal counsel, actuaries, accountants, appraisers, and consultants with the approval of the court;
(d) pay reasonable compensation to persons appointed and defray from the funds or assets of the insurer all expenses of taking possession of, conserving, conducting, liquidating, disposing of, or otherwise dealing with the business and property of the insurer. If the property of the insurer does not contain sufficient cash or liquid assets to defray the costs incurred, the commissioner may advance the costs incurred out of any appropriation for the maintenance of the commissioner's office. Any amounts advanced for expenses of administration must be repaid to the commissioner for the use of the commissioner's office out of the first available money of the insurer.
(e) hold hearings, subpoena witnesses to compel their attendance, administer oaths, examine any person under oath, and compel any person to subscribe to the person's testimony after it has been correctly reduced to writing and in connection with the hearings require the production of any books, papers, records, or other documents that the liquidator considers relevant to the inquiry;
(f) collect all debts and money due and claims belonging to the insurer, wherever located, and for this purpose:
(i) institute timely action in other jurisdictions in order to forestall garnishment and attachment proceedings against the debts;
(ii) do other acts that are necessary to collect, conserve, or protect its assets or property, including selling, compounding, compromising, or assigning debts for collection purposes on terms and conditions that the liquidator considers best; and
(iii) pursue any creditor's remedies available to enforce the liquidator's claims;
(g) conduct public and private sales of the property of the insurer;
(h) use assets of the estate of an insurer under a liquidation order to transfer policy obligations to a solvent assuming insurer if the transfer can be arranged without prejudice to applicable priorities under 33-2-1371;
(i) acquire, encumber, lease, improve, sell, or transfer any property of the insurer at its market value or upon terms and conditions that are fair and reasonable. The liquidator also has the power to execute, acknowledge, and deliver any and all deeds, assignments, releases, and other instruments necessary or proper to effectuate any sale of property or other transaction in connection with the liquidation.
(j) borrow money on the security of the insurer's assets or without security and execute and deliver all documents necessary to that transaction for the purpose of facilitating the liquidation;
(k) enter into contracts that are necessary to carry out the order to liquidate and affirm or disavow any contracts to which the insurer is a party;
(l) continue to prosecute and institute in the name of the insurer or in the liquidator's own name any and all suits and other legal proceedings, in this state or elsewhere, and abandon the prosecution of claims that the liquidator considers unprofitable to pursue further. If the insurer is dissolved under 33-2-1344, the liquidator has the power to apply to any court in this state or elsewhere for leave to substitute for the insurer as plaintiff.
(m) prosecute any action that may exist in behalf of the creditors, members, policyholders, or shareholders of the insurer against any officer of the insurer or any other person;
(n) remove any or all records and property of the insurer to the offices of the commissioner or to another place that may be convenient for the purposes of efficient and orderly execution of the liquidation. Guaranty associations and foreign guaranty associations must have reasonable access to the records of the insurer that is necessary for them to carry out their statutory obligations.
(o) deposit in one or more banks in this state sums that are required for meeting current administration expenses and dividend distributions;
(p) invest all sums not currently needed, unless the court orders otherwise;
(q) file any necessary documents for record in the office of any county clerk and recorder in this state or elsewhere where property of the insurer is located;
(r) assert all defenses available to the insurer as against third persons, including statutes of limitation, statutes of frauds, and the defense of usury. A waiver of any defense by the insurer after a petition in liquidation has been filed may not bind the liquidator. Whenever a guaranty association or foreign guaranty association has an obligation to defend any suit, the liquidator shall give precedence to the obligation and may defend only in the absence of a defense by the guaranty associations.
(s) exercise and enforce all the rights, remedies, and powers of any creditor, shareholder, policyholder, or member, including any power to avoid any transfer or lien that may be given by the general law and that is not included with 33-2-1351 through 33-2-1357;
(t) intervene in any proceeding wherever instituted that might lead to the appointment of a receiver or trustee and act as the receiver or trustee whenever the appointment is offered;
(u) enter into agreements with any receiver or commissioner of any other state relating to the rehabilitation, liquidation, conservation, or dissolution of an insurer doing business in both states;
(v) exercise all powers now held or conferred upon receivers by the laws of this state not inconsistent with the provisions of this part.
(2) The enumeration in this section of the powers and authority of the liquidator may not be construed as a limitation upon the liquidator or exclude in any manner the right to do other acts not specifically enumerated or otherwise provided for that may be necessary for the accomplishment of or in aid of the purpose of liquidation.
History: En. Sec. 21, Ch. 383, L. 1979; amd. Sec. 143, Ch. 575, L. 1981; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 713, L. 1989; amd. Sec. 1105, Ch. 56, L. 2009.