[§431:10C-122]  Payment of general excise tax and certificate of ownership fee on third-party claims.  (a)  When a motor vehicle insurer settles a total loss motor vehicle damage liability claim with a third-party claimant, the insurer shall pay the applicable general excise tax and certificate of ownership fee, subject to § 663-31; provided that if the third-party claimant cannot substantiate the purchase and the payment of the general excise tax and certificate of ownership fee by submitting to the insurer appropriate documentation within thirty-three days after the receipt of settlement, the insurer shall not be required to reimburse the third-party claimant for the tax or fee.

Terms Used In Hawaii Revised Statutes 431:10C-122

  • Insurer: means every person holding a valid certificate of authority to engage in the business of making contracts of motor vehicle insurance in this State. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 431:10C-103
  • Motor vehicle: means any vehicle of a type required to be registered under chapter 286, including a trailer attached to such a vehicle, but not including motorcycles and motor scooters. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 431:10C-103
  • Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
  • Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.

     (b)  In lieu of the procedure in subsection (a), the insurer may directly pay the required general excise tax and certificate of ownership fee to the third-party claimant at the time of settlement.

     (c)  An insurer’s obligation to reimburse a third-party claimant for the applicable general excise tax and certificate of ownership fee as set forth in this section shall be subject to the property damage liability limit of the policy.