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60A.171 Rehabilitation and cancellation of independent agent contracts by insurance companies.

Subdivision 1. (a) After an agency contractual relationship has been in effect for a period of three years, an insurance company writing fire or casualty loss insurance in this state may not terminate the agency contractual relationship with any appointed agent unless the company has attempted to rehabilitate the agent as provided in subdivision 4. The insurer shall provide written notice of intent to rehabilitate.

(b) If the agent and company are not able to reach a mutually acceptable plan of rehabilitation, the company may terminate the agency contractual relationship after providing written notice of termination to the agent at least 90 days in advance.

(c) The notice of termination must include the reasons for termination and a copy of the notice of intent to rehabilitate.

(d) An insurance company may not terminate an agency contract based upon any of the following:

(1) an adverse loss experience for a single year;

(2) the geographic location of the agent's auto and homeowners insurance business; or

(3) the performance of obligations required of an insurer under Minnesota Statutes.

(e) For purposes of this section, "fire or casualty loss insurance" means any line of insurance which an insurance agent with a personal lines, property, or casualty license under sections 60K.30 to 60K.56 may write in this state.

Subd. 2. The company shall at the request of the agent renew any insurance contract written by the agent for the company for not more than one year for fire or casualty loss insurance during a period of nine months after the effective date of the termination, but in the event any risk does not meet current underwriting standards of the company, the company may decline its renewal, provided that the company shall give the agent not less than 60 days' notice of its intention not to renew the contract of insurance.

Subd. 3. No new insurance or bond contract shall be written by the agent for the company after the effective date of the termination without the written approval of the company. The agent may increase liability on renewal or in force business for not more than one year for the insured after the effective date of the termination if the increased liability meets the current underwriting standards of the company.

Subd. 3a. Renumbered subd 4

Subd. 4. MS 1990 Renumbered subd 5

Subd. 4. (a) Before notice of termination of the agency contract, the company shall negotiate in good faith in an effort to reach mutual agreement with the agent on a written plan for rehabilitation.

(b) The rehabilitation plan must be in writing and must contain the following elements:

(1) identification by the company of the problem areas which need rehabilitation;

(2) what the agent must do to avoid termination;

(3) how the company intends to assist the agent to avoid termination;

(4) the mutually agreed upon corrective action to be undertaken by the agent and the specific target dates for accomplishment;

(5) periodic meeting dates at which the status of rehabilitation will be reviewed; and

(6) the term of the written plan which must extend for at least one year.

(c) All agency contracts in existence on May 13, 1987, are subject to the rehabilitation requirement under subdivision 1. The rehabilitation plan need not be incorporated into the agency contract.

Subd. 5. MS 1990 Renumbered subd 6

Subd. 5. Nothing contained in this section prohibits the earlier termination of an amendment or addendum subsequent to the inception date of the original agency agreement provided that the subsequent amendment or addendum provides for termination on shorter notice and the agent agrees in writing to the earlier termination.

Subd. 6. MS 1990 Renumbered subd 7

Subd. 6. During the term of the contract the company shall not refuse to renew such business from the agent as would be in accordance with the company's current underwriting standards.

Subd. 7. MS 1990 Renumbered subd 8

Subd. 7. The provisions of this section do not apply to the termination of an agent's contract for insolvency, abandonment, gross and willful misconduct, or failure to pay over to the company money due to the company after receipt by the agent of a written demand therefor, or after revocation of the agent's license by the commissioner of commerce. This section does not apply to the termination of an agent's contract if the agent is directly employed by the company or if the agent writes 80 percent or more of the agent's gross annual insurance business for one company or any or all of its subsidiaries.

Subd. 8. MS 1990 Renumbered subd 9

Subd. 8. All future and presently existing agency contractual relationships between an agent and a company writing fire or casualty loss insurance in this state are subject to the provisions of this section.

Subd. 9. If it is found, after notice and an opportunity to be heard as determined by the commissioner of commerce, that an insurance company has violated this section, the insurance company shall be subject to a civil action by the agent for actual damages suffered because of the premature termination of the contract by the company. The commissioner of commerce shall employ the department's investigative and enforcement authority if the commissioner has a reason to believe that an insurer has violated this section. An insurer found in violation of this section is subject to a civil penalty imposed by the commissioner not to exceed $10,000 per violation.

Subd. 10. In the event that a company's compliance with this section is demonstrated to the satisfaction of the commissioner to represent a hazard or potential hazard to the financial integrity of the company, the commissioner may, after a hearing, issue an order relieving the company from its obligation to provide the renewal policies otherwise required by this section.

Subd. 11. Upon termination of an agency, a company is prohibited from soliciting business in the notice of nonrenewal required by section 60A.37.

Subd. 12. For purposes of this section, a cancellation or termination of an agent's contract is considered to have occurred if the company cancels a line of insurance business or a volume of insurance business that equals or exceeds 75 percent of the insurance business placed by that agent with the company.

HIST: 1977 c 287 s 1; 1983 c 289 s 114 subd 1; 1984 c 655 art 1 s 92; 1986 c 444; 1987 c 92 s 1-3; 1991 c 39 s 1; 1996 c 446 art 1 s 4,5; 2001 c 117 art 2 s 5

Official Publication of the State of Minnesota
Revisor of Statutes