Section 645.54. Voidable preferences and liens.

 

(1)   Preferences.

(a) Preference defined. A preference is a transfer of any of the property of an insurer to or for the benefit of a creditor, for or on account of an antecedent debt, made or suffered by the insurer within one year before the filing of a successful petition for liquidation under this chapter the effect of which transfer may be to enable the creditor to obtain a greater percentage of his or her debt than another creditor of the same class would receive. If a liquidation order is entered while the insurer is already subject to a rehabilitation order, transfers otherwise qualifying shall be deemed preferences if made or suffered within one year before the filing of the successful petition for rehabilitation or within 2 years before the filing of the successful petition for liquidation, whichever time is shorter.

(b) Invalidation of preferences.

1. Any preference may be avoided by the liquidator, if any of the following conditions is met:

a. The insurer was insolvent at the time of the transfer.

b. The transfer was made within 4 months before the filing of the petition.

c. The creditor receiving the preference or to be benefited thereby or his or her agent acting with reference thereto had reasonable cause to believe at the time when the transfer was made that the insurer was insolvent or was about to become insolvent.

d. The creditor receiving the preference was an officer, employee, attorney or other person who was in fact in a position of comparable influence in the insurer to an officer whether or not he or she held such position, or any shareholder holding directly or indirectly more than 5 percent of any class of any equity security issued by the insurer, or any other person with whom the insurer did not deal at arm's length.

2. If a preference is voidable, the liquidator may recover the property or, if the property has been converted, the liquidator may recover its value from any person who has received or converted the property, except a bona fide purchaser from or lienor of the debtor's transferee for a present fair equivalent value. If the bona fide purchaser or lienor has given less than fair equivalent value, he or she shall have a lien upon the property to the extent of the consideration actually given by him or her. If a preference by way of lien or security title is voidable, the court may on due notice order the lien or title to be preserved for the benefit of the estate, in which event the lien or title shall pass to the liquidator.

(c) Indemnifications. Any payment to which s. 611.62 (2) applies is a preference and is voidable under par. (b) if made within the time period specified in par. (a) . Payments made by insurers under s. 611.62 (3) are not preferences.

(2)   Perfection of transfers.

(a) Personal property. A transfer of property other than real property is deemed to be made or suffered when it becomes so far perfected that no subsequent lien obtainable by legal or equitable proceedings on a simple contract could become superior to the rights of the transferee.

(b) Real property. A transfer of real property is deemed to be made or suffered when it becomes so far perfected that no subsequent bona fide purchaser from the insurer could obtain rights superior to the rights of the transferee.

(c) Equitable liens. A transfer which creates an equitable lien is not deemed to be perfected if there are available means by which a legal lien could be created.

(d) Transfers not perfected prior to petition. A transfer not perfected prior to the filing of a petition for liquidation shall be deemed to be made immediately before the filing of the successful petition.

(e) Actual creditors unnecessary. This subsection applies whether or not there are or were creditors who might have obtained liens or persons who might have become bona fide purchasers.

(3)   Liens by legal or equitable proceedings.

(a) Definition. A lien obtainable by legal or equitable proceedings upon a simple contract is one arising in the ordinary course of a legal or equitable proceeding upon the filing of a decree or entry of a judgment or decree in the judgment and lien docket, or upon attachment, garnishment, execution or like process, whether before, upon or after judgment or decree and whether before or upon levy. It does not include liens which under applicable law are given a special priority over other liens which are prior in time.

(b) When liens are superior. A lien obtainable by legal or equitable proceedings could become superior to the rights of a transferee, or a purchaser could obtain rights superior to the rights of a transferee within the meaning of sub. (2) , if such consequences would follow only from the lien or purchase itself, or from the lien or purchase followed by any step wholly within the control of the respective lienholder or purchaser, with or without the aid of ministerial action by public officials. Such a lien could not, however, become superior and such a purchase could not create superior rights for the purpose of sub. (2) through any acts subsequent to the obtaining of such a lien or subsequent to such a purchase which require the agreement or concurrence of any 3rd party or which require any further judicial action, or ruling.

(4)   Twenty-one day rule. A transfer of property for or on account of a new and contemporaneous consideration which is deemed under sub. (2) to be made or suffered after the transfer because of delay in perfecting it does not thereby become a transfer for or on account of an antecedent debt if any acts required by the applicable law to be performed in order to perfect the transfer as against liens or bona fide purchasers' rights are performed within 21 days or any period expressly allowed by the law, whichever is less. A transfer to secure a future loan, if such a loan is actually made, or a transfer which becomes security for a future loan shall have the same effect as a transfer for or on account of a new and contemporaneous consideration.

(5)   Indemnifying transfers also voidable. If any lien deemed voidable under sub. (1) (b) has been dissolved by the furnishing of a bond or other obligation, the surety on which has been indemnified directly or indirectly by the transfer of or the creation of a lien upon any property of an insurer before the filing of a petition under this chapter which results in a liquidation order, the indemnifying transfer or lien shall also be deemed voidable.

(6)   Avoidance of lien. The property affected by any lien deemed voidable under subs. (1) (b) and (5) is discharged from the lien, and that property and any of the indemnifying property transferred to or for the benefit of a surety shall pass to the liquidator, except that the court may on due notice order the lien to be preserved for the benefit of the estate and the court may direct that a conveyance be executed which is adequate to evidence the title of the liquidator.

(7)   Hearings to determine rights. The court shall have summary jurisdiction of any proceeding by the liquidator to hear and determine the rights of any parties under this section. Reasonable notice of any hearing in the proceeding shall be given to all parties in interest, including the obligee of a releasing bond or other like obligation. Where an order is entered for the recovery of indemnifying property in kind or for the avoidance of an indemnifying lien, the court, upon application of any party in interest, shall in the same proceeding ascertain the value of the property or lien, and if the value is less than the amount for which the property is indemnity or than the amount of the lien, the transferee or lienholder may elect to retain the property or lien upon payment of its value, as ascertained by the court, to the liquidator within such reasonable times as the court fixes.

(8)   Surety's liability discharged. The liability of a surety under a releasing bond or other like obligation shall be discharged to the extent of the value of the indemnifying property recovered or the indemnifying lien nullified and avoided or, where the property is retained under sub. (7) to the extent of the amount paid to the liquidator.

(9)   Setoff of new advances. If a creditor has been preferred and afterward in good faith gives the insurer further credit without security of any kind, for property which becomes a part of the insurer's estate, the amount of the new credit remaining unpaid at the time of the petition may be set off against the preference which would otherwise be recoverable from him or her.

(10)   Reexamination of attorney fees. If an insurer, directly or indirectly, within 4 months before the filing of a successful petition for liquidation under this chapter or at any time in contemplation of a proceeding to liquidate it, pays money or transfers property to an attorney at law for services rendered or to be rendered, the transaction may be examined by the court on its own motion or shall be examined by the court on petition of the liquidator and shall be held valid only to the extent of a reasonable amount to be determined by the court, and the excess may be recovered by the liquidator for the benefit of the estate.

(11)   Personal liability.

(a) Every officer, manager, employee, shareholder, member, subscriber, attorney or any other person acting on behalf of the insurer who knowingly participates in giving any preference when he or she has reasonable cause to believe the insurer to be or about to become insolvent at the time of the preference shall be personally liable to the liquidator for the amount of the preference. It is permissible to infer that there is reasonable cause to so believe if the transfer was made within 4 months before the date of filing of the successful petition for liquidation.

(b) Every person receiving any property from the insurer or the benefit thereof as a preference voidable under sub. (1) (b) is personally liable therefor and is bound to account to the liquidator.

(c) Nothing in this subsection prejudices any other claim by the liquidator against any person.

1971 c. 260 ; 1979 c. 93 ; 1979 c. 102 ss. 209 , 236 (5) , (13), (20); 1993 a. 490 ; 1995 a. 224 , 225 ; 2005 a. 253 .