(a)        Whenever the Commissioner has reason to believe that an insurance institution, agent, or insurance-support organization has been or is engaged in conduct in this State that violates this Article, or whenever the Commissioner has reason to believe that an insurance-support organization has been or is engaged in conduct outside this State that has an effect on a person residing in this State and that violates this Article, the Commissioner may issue and serve upon such insurance institution, agent, or insurance-support organization a statement of charges and notice of hearing to be held at a time and place fixed in the notice. The date for such hearing shall be not less than 10 days after the date of service.

(b)        At the time and place fixed for such hearing the insurance institution, agent, or insurance-support organization charged shall have an opportunity to answer the charges against it and present evidence on its behalf. Upon good cause shown, the Commissioner shall permit any adversely affected person to intervene, appear, and be heard at such hearing by counsel or in person. (1981, c. 846, s. 1; 2003-262, s. 2(2).)

Terms Used In North Carolina General Statutes 58-39-80

  • Agent: has the meaning as set forth in N. See North Carolina General Statutes 58-39-15
  • Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Insurance institution: means any corporation, association, partnership, reciprocal exchange, inter-insurer, Lloyd's insurer, fraternal benefit society, or other person engaged in the business of insurance, including health maintenance organizations and medical, surgical, hospital, dental, and optometric service plans, governed by Articles 65 through 67 of this Chapter. See North Carolina General Statutes 58-39-15
  • Insurance-support organization: means any person who regularly engages, in whole or in part, in the practice of assembling or collecting information about natural persons for the primary purpose of providing the information to an insurance institution or agent for insurance transactions, including: (i) the furnishing of consumer reports or investigative consumer reports to an insurance institution or agent for use in connection with an insurance transaction; or (ii) the collection of personal information from insurance institutions, agents, or other insurance-support organizations for the purpose of detecting or preventing fraud, material misrepresentation, or material nondisclosure in connection with insurance underwriting or insurance claim activity; provided, however, the following persons shall not be considered "insurance-support organizations" for purposes of this Article: agents, governmental institutions, insurance institutions, medical-care institutions, and medical professionals. See North Carolina General Statutes 58-39-15
  • state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, shall be construed to extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories, so called; and the words "United States" shall be construed to include the said district and territories and all dependencies. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3