Section 645.41. Grounds for liquidation.

  The commissioner may apply by verified petition to the circuit court for Dane County or for the county in which the principal office of the insurer is located for an order directing him or her to liquidate a domestic insurer or an alien insurer domiciled in this state on any one or more of the following grounds:

(1)  Any ground on which the commissioner may apply for an order of rehabilitation under s. 645.31 , whenever the commissioner believes that attempts to rehabilitate the insurer would substantially increase the risk of loss to its creditors, its policyholders or the public, or would be futile, or that rehabilitation would serve no useful purpose;

(2)  That the insurer is or is about to become insolvent;

(3)  That the insurer is engaging in a systematic practice of reaching settlements with and obtaining releases from policyholders or 3rd-party claimants and then unreasonably delaying payment of or failing to pay the agreed upon settlements;

(4)  That the insurer is in such condition that the further transaction of business would be hazardous, financially or otherwise, to its policyholders, its creditors or the public;

(5)  That the insurer has not transacted the business of insurance during the previous 12 months or has transacted only a token insurance business during that period, although authorized to do so throughout that period, or that more than 12 months after incorporation it has failed to become authorized to do an insurance business;

(6)  That within any part of the previous 12 months the insurer has systematically attempted to compromise with its creditors on the ground that it is financially unable to pay its claims in full;

(7)  That the insurer has commenced, or within the previous year has attempted to commence, voluntary liquidation otherwise than under chs. 600 to 646 ;

(8)  That the insurer has concealed records or assets from the commissioner or improperly removed them from the jurisdiction;

(9)  That the insurer does not satisfy the requirements that would be applicable if it were seeking initial authorization to do an insurance business in this state, except for:

(a) Requirements that are intended to apply only at the time the initial authorization to do business is obtained, and not thereafter; and

(b) Requirements that are expressly made inapplicable by the laws establishing the requirements;

(10)  That the holders of two-thirds of the shares entitled to vote, or two-thirds of the members or policyholders entitled to vote in an insurer controlled by its members or policyholders, have consented to a petition.

1975 c. 373 ; 1977 c. 339 s. 43 ; 1979 c. 89 , 93 ; 1979 c. 102 s. 236 (6) , (20); 1983 a. 215 ; 2005 a. 253 .