(1) (a) Subject to the limitations of KRS § 304.7-403, an insurer may acquire, either directly or indirectly through limited partnership interests and general partnership interests not otherwise prohibited by KRS § 304.7-363(4), joint ventures, stock of an investment subsidiary or membership interests in a limited liability company, trust certificates, or other similar instruments, obligations secured by mortgages on real estate situated within a domestic jurisdiction, but a mortgage loan that is secured by other than a first lien shall not be acquired unless the insurer is the holder of the first lien. The obligations held by the insurer and any obligations with an equal lien priority, shall not, at the time of acquisition of the obligation, exceed:
1. Ninety percent (90%) of the fair market value of the real estate, if the mortgage loan is secured by a purchase money mortgage or like security received by the insurer upon disposition of the real estate;

Terms Used In Kentucky Statutes 304.7-413

  • Accident and health insurer: means a licensed life or health insurer or health service corporation whose insurance premiums and required statutory reserves for accident and health insurance constitute at least ninety-five percent (95%) of total premium considerations or total statutory required reserves, respectively. See Kentucky Statutes 304.7-012
  • Admitted assets: means assets permitted to be reported as admitted assets in accordance with Subtitle 6 of KRS Chapter 304 on the statutory financial statement of the insurer most recently required to be filed with the commissioner, but excluding assets of separate accounts. See Kentucky Statutes 304.7-012
  • Amortization: Paying off a loan by regular installments.
  • Appraisal: A determination of property value.
  • Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
  • Company: may extend and be applied to any corporation, company, person, partnership, joint stock company, or association. See Kentucky Statutes 446.010
  • directly: when used in connection with an obligation, means that the designated obligor is primarily liable on the instrument representing the obligation. See Kentucky Statutes 304.7-012
  • Domestic: when applied to a corporation, partnership, business trust, or limited liability company, means all those incorporated or formed by authority of this state. See Kentucky Statutes 446.010
  • Domestic jurisdiction: means the United States, Canada, any state, any province of
    Canada, or any political subdivision of any of the foregoing. See Kentucky Statutes 304.7-012
  • Escrow: Money given to a third party to be held for payment until certain conditions are met.
  • Fair market value: The price at which an asset would change hands in a transaction between a willing, informed buyer and a willing, informed seller.
  • Federal: refers to the United States. See Kentucky Statutes 446.010
  • Income: means , as to a security, interest, accrual of discount, dividends, or other
    distributions, such as rights, tax or assessment, or assessment credits, warrants, and
    distributions in kind. See Kentucky Statutes 304.7-012
  • Interest rate: The amount paid by a borrower to a lender in exchange for the use of the lender's money for a certain period of time. Interest is paid on loans or on debt instruments, such as notes or bonds, either at regular intervals or as part of a lump sum payment when the issue matures. Source: OCC
  • Investment subsidiary: means a subsidiary of an insurer engaged or organized to
    engage exclusively in the ownership and management of assets authorized as investment for the insurer if each subsidiary agrees to limit its investment in any asset so that its investments will not cause the amount of the total investment of the insurer to exceed any of the investment limitations or avoid any other provisions of this subtitle applicable to the insurer. See Kentucky Statutes 304.7-012
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
  • Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
  • Limited liability company: means a business organization, excluding partnerships and ordinary business corporations, organized or operating under the laws of the United States or any state thereof that limits the personal liability of investors to the equity investment of the investor in the business entity. See Kentucky Statutes 304.7-012
  • Market value: means :
    (a) As to cash and letters of credit, the amounts thereof. See Kentucky Statutes 304.7-012
  • Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
  • Mortgage loan: means an obligation secured by a mortgage, deed of trust, trust deed, or other consensual lien on real estate. See Kentucky Statutes 304.7-012
  • Mortgage loan: A loan made by a lender to a borrower for the financing of real property. Source: OCC
  • NAIC: means the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. See Kentucky Statutes 304.7-012
  • 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.
  • Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
  • Partnership: includes both general and limited partnerships. See Kentucky Statutes 446.010
  • Real estate: means :
    (a) 1. See Kentucky Statutes 304.7-012
  • Recourse: An arrangement in which a bank retains, in form or in substance, any credit risk directly or indirectly associated with an asset it has sold (in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles) that exceeds a pro rata share of the bank's claim on the asset. If a bank has no claim on an asset it has sold, then the retention of any credit risk is recourse. Source: FDIC
  • Secured location: means the contiguous real estate owned by one (1) person. See Kentucky Statutes 304.7-012
  • SVO: means the Securities Valuation Office of the NAIC or any successor office established by the NAIC. See Kentucky Statutes 304.7-012

2. Eighty percent (80%) of the fair market value of the real estate, if the mortgage loan requires immediate scheduled payment in periodic installments of principal and interest, has an amortization period of thirty (30) years or less, and periodic payments made no less frequently than annually. Each periodic payment shall be sufficient to assure that at all times the outstanding principal balance of the mortgage loan shall be no greater than the outstanding principal balance that would be outstanding under a mortgage loan with the same original principal balance, with the same interest rate, and requiring equal payments of principal and interest with the same frequency over the same amortization period. Mortgage loans permitted under this subsection are permitted notwithstanding the fact that they provide for a payment of the principal balance prior to the end of the period of amortization of the loan. For residential mortgage loans, the eighty percent (80%) limitation may be increased to ninety-seven percent (97%) if acceptable private mortgage insurance has been obtained; or
3. Seventy-five percent (75%) of the fair market value of the real estate for mortgage loans that do not meet the requirements of subparagraph 1. or
2. of this paragraph.
(b) For purposes of paragraph (a) of this subsection, the amount of an obligation required to be included in the calculation of the loan-to-value ratio may be reduced to the extent the obligation is insured by the Federal Housing Administration, guaranteed by the Administrator of Veteran Affairs, or their successors.
(c) A mortgage loan that is held by an insurer under KRS § 304.7-014(7) or acquired under this section and is restructured in a manner that meets the requirements of a restructured mortgage loan in accordance with the NAIC Accounting Practices and Procedures Manual or successor publication shall
continue to qualify as a mortgage loan under this subtitle.
(d) Subject to the limitations of KRS § 304.7-403, credit lease transactions that do not qualify for investment under KRS § 304.7-405 with the following characteristics shall be exempt from the provisions of paragraph (a) of this subsection:
1. The loan amortizes over the initial fixed lease term at least in an amount sufficient so that the loan balance at the end of the lease term does not exceed the original appraised value of the real estate;
2. The lease payments cover or exceed the total debt service over the life of the loan;
3. A tenant or its affiliated entity whose rated credit instruments have a SVO 1 or 2 designation or a comparable rating from a nationally recognized statistical rating organization recognized by the SVO has a full faith and credit obligation to make the lease payments;
4. The insurer holds or is the beneficial holder of a first lien mortgage on the real estate;
5. The expenses of the real estate are passed through to the tenant, excluding exterior, structural, parking, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning replacement expenses, unless annual escrow contributions, from cash flows derived from the lease payments, cover the expense shortfall; and
6. There is a perfected assignment of the rents due in accordance with the lease to or for the benefit of the insurer.
(2) (a) An insurer may acquire, manage, and dispose of real estate situated in a domestic jurisdiction either directly or indirectly through limited partnership interests and general partnership interests not otherwise prohibited by KRS
304.7-363(4), joint ventures, stock of an investment subsidiary or membership interests in a limited liability company, trust certificates, or other similar instruments. The real estate shall be income producing or intended for improvement or development for investment purposes under an existing program in which case the real estate shall be deemed to be income producing.
(b) The real estate may be subject to mortgages, liens, or other encumbrances, the amount of which shall, to the extent that the obligations secured by the mortgages, liens, or encumbrances are without recourse to the insurer, be deducted from the amount of the investment of the insurer in the real estate for purposes of determining compliance with subsection (4)(b) and (c) of this section.
(3) (a) An insurer may acquire, manage, and dispose of real estate for the convenient accommodation of the insurer’s, which may include its affiliates, business operations, including home office, branch office, and field office operations:
1. Real estate acquired under this subsection may include excess space for rent to others, if the excess space, valued at its fair market value, would otherwise be a permitted investment under subsection (2) of this section
and is so qualified by the insurer;
2. The real estate acquired under this subsection may be subject to one (1) or more mortgages, liens, or other encumbrances, the amount of which shall, to the extent that the obligations secured by the mortgages, liens, or encumbrances are without recourse to the insurer, be deducted from the amount of the investment of the insurer in the real estate for purposes of determining compliance with paragraph (d) of subsection (4) of this section; and
3. For purposes of this subsection, “business operations” shall not include that portion of real estate used for the direct provision of health care services by an accident and health insurer or its insured. An insurer may acquire real estate used for these purposes under subsection (2) of this section.
(4) (a) An insurer shall not acquire an investment under subsection (1) of this section if, as a result of and after giving effect to the investment, the aggregate amount of all investments then held by the insurer under subsection (1) of this section would exceed:
1. One percent (1%) of its admitted assets in mortgage loans covering any one (1) secured location;
2. One-quarter of one percent (0.25%) of its admitted assets in construction loans covering any one (1) secured location; or
3. Two percent (2%) of its admitted assets in construction loans in the aggregate.
(b) An insurer shall not acquire an investment under subsection (2) of this section if, as a result of and after giving effect to the investment and any outstanding guarantees made by the insurer in connection with the investment, the aggregate amount of investments then held by the insurer under subsection (2) of this section plus the guarantees then outstanding would exceed:
1. One percent (1%) of its admitted assets in one (1) parcel or group of contiguous parcels of real estate, except that this limitation shall not apply to that portion of real estate used for the direct provision of health care services by an accident and health insurer for its insureds, such as hospitals, medical clinics, medical professional buildings, or other health facilities used for the purpose of providing health services; or
2. Fifteen percent (15%) of its admitted assets in the aggregate, but not more than five percent (5%) of its admitted assets as to properties that are to be improved or developed.
(c) An insurer shall not acquire an investment under subsection (1) or (2) of this section if, as a result of and after giving effect to the investment and any guarantees made by the insurer in connection with the investment, the aggregate amount of all investments then held by the insurer under subsections (1) and (2) of this section plus the guarantees then outstanding would exceed forty-five percent (45%) of its admitted assets. However, an
insurer may exceed this limitation by no more than thirty percent (30%) of its admitted assets if:
1. This increased amount is invested only in residential mortgage loans;
2. The insurer has no more than ten percent (10%) of its admitted assets invested in mortgage loans other than residential mortgage loans;
3. The loan-to-value ratio of each residential mortgage loan does not exceed sixty percent (60%) at the time the mortgage loan is qualified under this increased authority, and the fair market value is supported by an appraisal no more than two (2) years old, prepared by an independent appraiser;
4. A single mortgage loan qualified under this increased authority shall not exceed one-half of one percent (0.5%) of its admitted assets;
5. The insurer files with the commissioner, and receives approval from the commissioner for, a plan that is designed to result in a portfolio of residential mortgage loans that is sufficiently geographically diversified; and
6. The insurer agrees to file annually with the commissioner records that demonstrate that its portfolio of residential mortgage loans is geographically diversified in accordance with the plan.
(d) The limitations of KRS § 304.7-403 shall not apply to an insurer’s acquisition of real estate under subsection (3) of this section. An insurer shall not acquire real estate under subsection (3) of this section if, as a result of and after giving effect to the acquisition, the aggregate amount of real estate then held by the insurer under subsection (3) of this section would exceed ten percent (10%) of its admitted assets. With the permission of the commissioner, additional amounts of real estate may be acquired under subsection (3) of this section.
Effective: July 15, 2010
History: Amended 2010 Ky. Acts ch. 24, sec. 1017, effective July 15, 2010. — Created
2000 Ky. Acts ch. 388, sec. 13, effective July 14, 2000.