Florida Statute 631.271 | Lawyer Caselaw & Research

The 2024 Florida Statutes

Title XXXVII
INSURANCE

Chapter 631
INSURER INSOLVENCY; GUARANTY OF PAYMENT

View Entire Chapter

F.S. 631.271

631.271 Priority of claims.—

(1) The priority of distribution of claims from the insurer’s estate shall be in accordance with the order in which each class of claims is set forth in this subsection. Every claim in each class shall be paid in full or adequate funds shall be retained for such payment before the members of the next class may receive any payment. No subclasses may be established within any class. The order of distribution of claims shall be:

(a) Class 1.—

1. All of the receiver’s costs and expenses of administration.

2. All of the expenses of a guaranty association or foreign guaranty association in handling claims.

3. All of the deputy supervisor’s costs and expenses of administration incurred as a result of administrative supervision under part VI of chapter 624.

(b) Class 2.—All claims under policies for losses incurred, including third-party claims, all claims against the insurer for liability for bodily injury or for injury to or destruction of tangible property which claims are not under policies, all claims of a guaranty association or foreign guaranty association, and all claims related to a patient’s health care coverage by physicians, hospitals, and other providers of a health insurer or health maintenance organization. All claims under life insurance and annuity policies, whether for death proceeds, annuity proceeds, or investment values, shall be treated as loss claims. That portion of any loss, indemnification for which is provided by other benefits or advantages recovered by the claimant, may not be included in this class, other than benefits or advantages recovered or recoverable in discharge of familial obligations of support or by way of succession at death or as proceeds of life insurance, or as gratuities. No payment by an employer to her or his employee may be treated as a gratuity.

(d) Class 4.—Claims of the Federal Government.

(e) Class 5.—Debts due to employees for services performed, to the extent that the debts do not exceed $2,000 for each employee and represent payment for services performed within 6 months before the filing of the petition for liquidation. Officers and directors are not entitled to the benefit of this priority. This priority is in lieu of any other similar priority that is authorized by law as to wages or compensation of employees.

(f) Class 6.—Claims of general creditors.

(g) Class 7.—Claims of any state or local government. Claims, including those of any state or local government for a penalty or forfeiture, shall be allowed in this class, but only to the extent of the pecuniary loss sustained from the act, transaction, or proceeding out of which the penalty or forfeiture arose, with reasonable and actual costs occasioned thereby. The remainder of such claims shall be postponed to the class of claims under paragraph (k).

(h) Class 8.—Claims filed after the time specified in s. 631.181(3), except when ordered otherwise by the court to prevent manifest injustice, or any claims other than claims under paragraph (i) or under paragraph (k).

(i) Class 9.—Surplus or contribution notes, or similar obligations, and premium refunds on assessable policies. Payments to members of domestic mutual insurance companies shall be limited in accordance with law.

(j) Class 10.—Interest on allowed claims of Classes 1 through 9. The rate of interest payable on an allowed claim must accrue from the date the court enters the order of liquidation until such time as the receivership court approves the distribution. The interest rate must be calculated in accordance with s. 55.03.

(k) Class 11.—The claims of shareholders or other owners.

(2) In a liquidation proceeding involving one or more reciprocal states, the order of distribution of the domiciliary state shall control as to all claims of residents of this and reciprocal states. All claims of residents of reciprocal states shall be given equal priority of payment from general assets regardless of where such assets are located.

History.—s. 743, ch. 59-205; ss. 13, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 13, ch. 70-27; s. 1, ch. 70-439; s. 809(1st), ch. 82-243; s. 21, ch. 83-38; s. 7, ch. 85-63; s. 40, ch. 88-166; ss. 94, 187, 188, ch. 91-108; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 1, ch. 95-213; s. 405, ch. 97-102; s. 37, ch. 2012-151; s. 12, ch. 2017-143.

F.S. 631.271 on Google Scholar

F.S. 631.271 on Casetext

Amendments to 631.271

Arrestable Offenses / Crimes under Fla. Stat. 631.271

Level: Degree
Misdemeanor/Felony: First/Second/Third

Current data shows no reason an arrest or criminal charge should have occurred directly under Florida Statute 631.271.

Annotations, Discussions, Cases:

Cases Citing Statute 631.271

Total Results: 6

Lidsky v. Florida Department of Insurance

Court: Fla. Dist. Ct. App. | Date Filed: 1994-09-14T00:00:00-07:00

Citation: 643 So. 2d 631, 1994 Fla. App. LEXIS 8785

Snippet: the statutory priorities of distribution. See § 631.271. To achieve this obviously legitimate purpose,

First American Bank v. International Medical Centers, Inc.

Court: Fla. Dist. Ct. App. | Date Filed: 1990-07-19T00:00:00-07:00

Citation: 565 So. 2d 1369, 1990 Fla. App. LEXIS 5319, 1990 WL 103690

Snippet: limited to a class 8 priority, pursuant to Section 631.271(l)(h), Florida Statutes, as the ‘claim of a shareholder…limited to a class 8 priority, pursuant to Section 631.271(l)(h), Florida Statutes, as the ‘claim of a shareholder

In re the Receivership of Syndicate Two, Inc.

Court: Fla. Dist. Ct. App. | Date Filed: 1989-02-14T00:00:00-08:00

Citation: 538 So. 2d 945, 14 Fla. L. Weekly 471, 1989 Fla. App. LEXIS 807

Snippet: validity of the claim and its priority under section 631.271. AFFIRMED. SMITH, C.J., and NIMMONS, J., concur

Sunset Com. Bk. v. Fla. Dept. of Ins.

Court: Fla. Dist. Ct. App. | Date Filed: 1987-06-17T00:53:00-07:00

Citation: 509 So. 2d 366

Snippet: distribution of claims classified under section 631.271, Florida Statutes. The application of section 631.281

Barnett Bank v. State, Dept. of Ins.

Court: Fla. Dist. Ct. App. | Date Filed: 1987-05-05T00:53:00-07:00

Citation: 507 So. 2d 142

Snippet: limited by the 1983 enactment of section 631.271.[2] Section 631.271 created priorities for the distribution…other creditors, and stated that neither section 631.271 nor section 631.281, Florida Statutes (1985), permits…would normally be given priority under section 631.271. The Department argues that this result was not…not intended by the legislature and that section 631.271 should be read to limit the amount of offset allowed…section 631.281 was amended at the same time section 631.271 was enacted and can be applied in this case without

Insurance Commissioner v. State ex rel. Department of Insurance

Court: Fla. Dist. Ct. App. | Date Filed: 1982-03-11T00:00:00-08:00

Citation: 411 So. 2d 269, 1982 Fla. App. LEXIS 19450

Snippet: from the insolvent insurer’s Florida assets. §§ 631.271 and 631.397, Florida Statutes (1979). The domiciliary