(a) When a premium finance agreement contains a power of attorney enabling the premium finance company to cancel any insurance contract or contracts listed in the agreement, the insurance contract or contracts shall not be cancelled by the premium finance company unless the cancellation is effectuated in accordance with this section.
Terms Used In Tennessee Code 56-37-110
Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
Mortgagee: The person to whom property is mortgaged and who has loaned the money.
Power of attorney: A written instrument which authorizes one person to act as another's agent or attorney. The power of attorney may be for a definite, specific act, or it may be general in nature. The terms of the written power of attorney may specify when it will expire. If not, the power of attorney usually expires when the person granting it dies. Source: OCC
Premium finance agreement: means an agreement by which an insured or prospective insured promises to pay to a premium finance company the amount advanced or to be advanced under the agreement to an insurer or to an insurance agent or producing agent in payment of premiums of an insurance contract, together with interest and a service charge as authorized and limited by this chapter. See Tennessee Code 56-37-102
Premium finance company: means a person engaged in the business of entering into premium finance agreements or acquiring premium finance agreements from other premium finance companies. See Tennessee Code 56-37-102
written: includes printing, typewriting, engraving, lithography, and any other mode of representing words and letters. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
(b) Not less than ten (10) days’ written notice shall be mailed to the insured, at the insured’s last known address as shown on the records of the premium finance company, of the intent of the premium finance company to cancel the insurance contract unless the default is cured within the ten-day period; provided, that if a default results from the refusal of a bank to honor a loan repayment check, the default shall be treated as a request of the insured for cancellation and the premium finance company shall not be required to provide an additional ten (10) days’ written notice to the insured.(c) After expiration of the ten-day period, the premium finance company may thereafter cancel the insurance contract or contracts by mailing to the insurer a notice of cancellation. The insurance contract shall be cancelled as if the notice of cancellation had been submitted by the insured, but without requiring the return of the insurance contract or contracts. The premium finance company shall also mail a notice of cancellation to the insured at the insured’s last known address as shown on the records of the premium finance company.(d) All statutory, regulatory and contractual restrictions providing that the insurance contract may not be cancelled unless notice is given to a governmental agency, mortgagee or other third party shall apply where cancellation is effected under this section. The insurer shall give the prescribed notice on behalf of itself or the insured to any governmental agency, mortgagee or other third party on or before the second business day after the day it receives the notice of cancellation, taking into consideration the number of days’ notice required to complete the cancellation.
