Virginia Law

Article 3. Members.

Any person having a risk insurable under this chapter who resides in the territory in which the insurer operates or who owns property located in the territory may become a member of a mutual assessment property and casualty insurer and shall be entitled to all the rights and privileges pertaining to membership. Any officer, trustee, board member or legal representative of a corporation, board, estate or association may be recognized as acting for or on its behalf for the purpose of the membership, but shall not be personally liable under the contract of insurance by reason of acting in such representative capacity.

1952, c. 317, § 38.1-669; 1986, c. 562.

A. Any member of a mutual assessment property and casualty insurer may withdraw as a member at any time by giving at least thirty days' written notice to the insurer and paying his share of all losses against the insurer that have occurred prior to the member's withdrawal and which have not been fully reserved or for which surplus is inadequate. Upon this withdrawal the member shall be paid by the insurer any unearned premium, unearned fee or unearned assessment paid in advance.

B. Any member who neglects or refuses to pay an assessment or premium when due may be excluded from membership for that or any other reason satisfactory to a majority of the directors or the executive committee, or as the bylaws prescribe. The member shall remain liable for the payment of any assessments made for losses that have occurred prior to his exclusion, and also for the amounts provided for in § 38.2-2522, if action is instituted within twelve months after the time the assessments become due.

Code 1950, §§ 38-527, 38-537; 1952, c. 317, §§ 38.1-669.1, 38.1-670; 1986, c. 562.

If any member is excluded from the insurer as provided in this article, the insurer shall note upon its records the exclusion of the member, the cancellation of his insurance policies, and the date of the exclusion. The insurer shall notify the member by mail of the exclusion and cancellation, and after at least five days have elapsed from the mailing of the notice, the policy shall no longer be effective and all further liability of the insurer under the policy shall cease. Proper notification shall be deemed to have been effected if the notice is deposited with the United States Postal Service and mailed to the member at his address as shown on the records of the insurer. If the bylaws or the policy provide that a member's policy shall be void without any notice if the member neglects or refuses to pay any assessment, that provision shall be valid and the notice required in this section need not be given. Upon the cancellation of the insurance or upon the policy becoming void, the member shall be entitled to receive from the insurer a repayment of an equitable portion of any premium, fee or assessment which was paid in advance.

Code 1950, §§ 38-537, 38-538; 1952, c. 317, § 38.1-671; 1986, c. 562.

Every mutual assessment property and casualty insurer shall maintain a membership of at least 100 persons at all times. Whenever the number of members falls below 100, the insurer shall notify the Commission immediately of that fact. Upon receipt of that notice, or upon information from any source that the membership of the insurer is less than 100, the Commission may revoke the insurer's license, or may issue an order requiring the insurer to increase its membership to at least 100 within a designated period not exceeding 90 days.

If at the expiration of the designated period the membership has not been increased to at least 100, the Commission shall revoke the insurer's license. Upon the revocation of its license as authorized in this section, delinquency proceedings against the insurer may be instituted and conducted as provided in Chapter 15 of this title.

1952, c. 317, § 38.1-672; 1986, c. 562.