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Florida Statute 631.156 - Full Text and Legal Analysis
Florida Statute 631.156 | Lawyer Caselaw & Research
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F.S. 631.156 Case Law from Google Scholar Google Search for Amendments to 631.156

The 2025 Florida Statutes

Title XXXVII
INSURANCE
Chapter 631
INSURER INSOLVENCY; GUARANTY OF PAYMENT
View Entire Chapter
631.156 Investigation by the department; scope of authority; sharing of materials.
(1) The department may, under the direction and supervision of the receivership court, conduct an investigation to determine the causes of the insolvency, including whether false statements filed with the department contributed to the insolvency and if any laws of this state, any other state, or the Federal Government relating to the solvency of the insurer were violated; to discover assets for recovery; and to determine the location of assets and their manner of recovery. The department may take statements under oath and examine and review the books, records, and documents of the insurer or any affiliate, controlling person, officer, director, manager, trustee, agent, adjuster, employee, or independent contractor of any insurer or affiliate and any other person possessing any executive authority over, or exercising or having exercised any control over, any segment of the affairs of the insurer or affiliate. Contracts of reinsurance between an insurer and a reinsurer do not constitute the exercise of control by the reinsurer over the insurer for purposes of this section.
(2) The department may provide documents, books, and records; other investigative products, work product, and analysis; and copies of any or all of such materials to the Division of Criminal Investigations or any other appropriate government agency. The sharing of these materials does not waive any work product or other privilege otherwise applicable under law.
(3) The receivership court, upon motion of the department, shall enter an order expediting compliance with the requirements of subsection (1). The court may impose appropriate penalties and sanctions for noncompliance with such order, including penalties and sanctions for the loss, destruction, or spoliation of any evidence that occurs after entry of such order.
History.s. 11, ch. 2002-25; s. 25, ch. 2016-165; s. 21, ch. 2025-4.

F.S. 631.156 on Google Scholar

F.S. 631.156 on CourtListener

Amendments to 631.156


Annotations, Discussions, Cases:

Cases Citing Statute 631.156

Total Results: 1

Everest Re Group, Ltd. v. Department of Financial Services

10 So. 3d 1120, 2009 Fla. App. LEXIS 3630, 2009 WL 1098936

District Court of Appeal of Florida | Filed: Apr 24, 2009 | Docket: 1642613

Published

...1st DCA 1997), the authority to investigate exists apart from the authority to file an administrative complaint. An agency is *1122 not required to allege a violation of the law or file a formal charge as a prerequisite to an investigation. The authority for the investigative demand in this case is established by Section 631.156, Florida Statutes (2008), which provides that the Florida Department of Financial Services may conduct an investigation to determine the cause of an insurer's insolvency....
...gent, adjuster, employee, or independent contractor of any insurer or affiliate and any other person possessing any executive authority over, or exercising or having exercised any control over, any segment of the affairs of the insurer or affiliate. § 631.156, Fla....
...If that were the case, the principal owners of a Florida insurance company could avoid an investigation into its insolvency simply by forming an offshore holding company and then placing its books and records in the hands of that company. In addition to its argument regarding the applicability of section 631.156, Everest Re contends that there is no basis for the exercise of long-arm jurisdiction....
...At this point, Everest Re is merely a witness. The question is not whether the Department can sue Everest Re in a Florida court, but whether it can subpoena its records in an official investigation conducted on behalf of the state. The answer is found in section 631.156, Florida Statutes, the law authorizing the investigation, not *1123 in the long-arm statute or in constitutional principles relating to personal jurisdiction over nonresident defendants. Because the demand was authorized by section 631.156, the trial court had authority to order Everest Re to comply....

This Florida statute resource is curated by Graham W. Syfert, Esq., a Jacksonville, Florida personal injury and workers' compensation attorney. For legal consultation, call 904-383-7448.