Sec. 443.154. POWERS OF LIQUIDATOR. (a) The liquidator may appoint a special deputy or deputies to act for the liquidator under this chapter and employ or contract with legal counsel, actuaries, accountants, appraisers, consultants, clerks, assistants, and other personnel the liquidator may deem necessary to assist in the liquidation. A special deputy has all powers of the liquidator granted by this section, unless specifically limited by the liquidator, and serves at the pleasure of the liquidator. A special deputy or any other person with whom the liquidator contracts under this subsection may act on behalf of the commissioner only in the commissioner's capacity as liquidator. Any person with whom the liquidator contracts is not considered to be an agent of the state and any contract under this subsection is not a contract with the state. The provisions of any law governing the procurement of goods and services by the state do not apply to any contract entered into by the commissioner as liquidator. This subsection does not waive any immunity granted by Section 443.014 or create any cause of action against the state.

(b) The liquidator may determine the reasonable compensation for any special deputies, employees, or contractors retained by the liquidator as provided in Subsection (a) and pay compensation in accordance with Section 443.015.

(c) The liquidator may appoint, with the approval of the receivership court, an advisory committee of policyholders, claimants, or other creditors, including guaranty associations, if the committee be deemed necessary. The advisory committee serves at the pleasure of the liquidator, and the decision to appoint an advisory committee is at the sole discretion of the liquidator. The advisory committee serves without compensation or reimbursement for expenses. The liquidator or the receivership court in liquidation proceedings conducted under this chapter may not appoint another committee of any nature.

(d) The liquidator may hold hearings, subpoena witnesses to compel their attendance, administer oaths, examine any person under oath, compel any persons to subscribe to their testimony after it has been correctly reduced to writing, and, in connection with a power under this subsection, require the production of any books, papers, records, or other documents that the liquidator deems relevant to the inquiry.

(e) The liquidator may audit the books and records of all agents of the insurer to the extent that those books and records relate to the business activities of the insurer.

(f) The liquidator may collect all debts and moneys due and claims belonging to the insurer, wherever located, and may:

(1) institute action in other jurisdictions, in order to forestall garnishment and attachment proceedings against the debts;

(2) do other acts as necessary or expedient to collect, conserve, or protect the insurer's property, including the power to sell, compromise, or assign debts for purposes of collection upon such terms and conditions as the liquidator deems consistent with this chapter; and

(3) pursue any creditor's remedies available to enforce the insurer's claims.

(g) The liquidator may conduct public and private sales of the property of the insurer.

(h) The liquidator may use property of the estate of an insurer under a liquidation order to transfer to a solvent assuming insurer policy obligations or the insurer's obligations under surety bonds and surety undertakings as well as collateral held by the insurer with respect to the reimbursement obligations of the principals under those surety bonds and surety undertakings, if the transfer can be arranged without prejudice to applicable priorities under Section 443.301. If all insureds, principals, third-party claimants, and obligees under the policies, surety bonds, and surety undertakings consent or if the receivership court so orders, the estate has no further liability under the transferred policies, surety bonds, or surety undertakings after the transfer is made.

(i) The liquidator may, subject to Subsection (y), acquire, hypothecate, encumber, lease, improve, sell, transfer, abandon, or otherwise dispose of or deal with any property of the estate 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) The liquidator may borrow money on the security of the property of the estate or without security and execute and deliver all documents necessary to that transaction for the purpose of facilitating the liquidation. Any funds borrowed under this subsection may be repaid as an administrative expense and have priority over any other claims in Class 1 under the priority of distribution.

(k) The liquidator may enter into contracts as necessary to carry out the order to liquidate and, subject to the provisions of Section 443.013, may assume or reject any executory contract or unexpired lease to which the insurer is a party.

(l) The liquidator may 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 the liquidator deems unprofitable to pursue further. If the insurer is dissolved under Section 443.153, the liquidator has the power to apply to any court in this state or elsewhere for leave to substitute the liquidator for the insurer as a party.

(m) The liquidator may prosecute any action that may exist on behalf of the creditors, members, policyholders, shareholders of the insurer, or the public against any person, except to the extent that a claim is personal to a specific creditor, member, policyholder, or shareholder and recovery on such claim would not inure to the benefit of the estate. This subsection does not infringe or impair any of the rights provided to a guaranty association pursuant to its enabling statute or otherwise.

(n) The liquidator may take possession of the records and property of the insurer as may be convenient for the purposes of efficient and orderly execution of the liquidation. Guaranty associations must be allowed reasonable access to the records of the insurer as is necessary for the guaranty associations to carry out their statutory obligations.

(o) The liquidator may deposit in one or more banks in this state the amounts that are required for meeting current administration expenses and dividend distributions.

(p) The liquidator may invest all amounts not currently needed, unless the receivership court orders otherwise.

(q) The liquidator may file any necessary documents for record in the office of any recorder of deeds or record office in this state or elsewhere where property of the insurer is located.

(r) The liquidator may 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 is filed under this chapter does not bind the liquidator. When a guaranty association has an obligation to defend any suit, the liquidator shall defer to the association's obligation.

(s) The liquidator may 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 avoidable under this chapter or otherwise.

(t) The liquidator may 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) The liquidator may enter into agreements with any receivers or commissioners of any other states.

(v) The liquidator may exercise all powers held by receivers on August 31, 2005, or conferred on receivers after that date by the laws of this state not inconsistent with this chapter.

(w) The liquidator is vested with all the rights of the entity or entities in receivership.

(x) The enumeration, in this section, of the powers and authority of the liquidator may not be construed as a limitation upon the liquidator, nor may it exclude in any manner the right to do other acts not specifically enumerated or otherwise provided for, to the extent necessary or appropriate for the accomplishment of or in aid of the purpose of liquidation.

(y) The liquidator may hypothecate, encumber, lease, sell, transfer, abandon, or otherwise dispose of or deal with any property of the insurer, settle or resolve any claim brought by the liquidator on behalf of the insurer, or commute or settle any claim of reinsurance under any contract of reinsurance, as follows:

(1) if the property or claim has a market or settlement value that does not exceed the lesser of $1 million or 10 percent of the general assets of the estate as shown on the receivership's financial statements, the liquidator may take action at the liquidator's discretion, provided that the receivership court may, upon petition of the liquidator, increase the threshold upon a showing that compliance with this requirement is burdensome to the liquidator in administering the estate and is unnecessary to protect the material interests of creditors;

(2) in all instances other than those described in Subdivision (1), the liquidator may take the action only after obtaining approval of the receivership court as provided by Section 443.007;

(3) the liquidator may, at the liquidator's discretion, request the receivership court to approve a proposed action as provided by Section 443.007 if the value of the property or claim appears to be less than the threshold provided by Subdivision (1) but cannot be ascertained with certainty, or for any other reason as determined by the liquidator; and

(4) after obtaining approval of the receivership court as provided in Section 443.007, the liquidator may, subject to Subsection (z), transfer rights to payment under ceding reinsurance agreements covering policies to a third-party transferee.

(z) The transferee of a right to payment under Subsection (y)(4) has the rights to collect and enforce collection of the reinsurance for the amount payable to the ceding insurer or to its receiver, without diminution because of the insolvency or because the receiver has failed to pay all or a portion of the claim, based on the amounts paid or allowed pursuant to Section 443.211. The transfer of the rights does not give rise to any defense regarding the reinsurer's obligations under the reinsurance agreement regardless of whether an agreement or other applicable law prohibits the transfer of rights under the reinsurance agreement. Except as provided in this subsection, any transfer of rights pursuant to Subsection (y)(4) does not impair any rights or defenses of the reinsurer that existed prior to the transfer or that would have existed in the absence of the transfer. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, any transfer of rights pursuant to Subsection (y)(4) does not relieve the transferee or the liquidator from obligations owed to the reinsurer pursuant to the reinsurance or other agreement.

(aa) The liquidator is not obligated to defend any action against the insurer or insured. Any insureds not defended by a guaranty association may provide their own defense, and include the cost of the defense as part of their claims, if the defense was an obligation of the insurer. The right of the liquidator to contest coverage on a particular claim is preserved without the necessity for an express reservation of rights.

Added by Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 995 (H.B. 2157), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2005.

Redesignated from Insurance Code - Not Codified, Art/Sec 21A.154 by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 730 (H.B. 2636), Sec. 3B.004(a)(1), eff. September 1, 2007.

Amended by:

Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 730 (H.B. 2636), Sec. 3B.004(r), eff. September 1, 2007.

Redesignated from Insurance Code - Not Codified, Art/Sec 21A.154 by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 921 (H.B. 3167), Sec. 9.004(a)(1), eff. September 1, 2007.

Amended by:

Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 921 (H.B. 3167), Sec. 9.004(r), eff. September 1, 2007.

Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 193 (S.B. 1433), Sec. 7, eff. September 1, 2011.