As used in ORS § 734.510 to 734.710, unless the context requires otherwise:

Terms Used In Oregon Statutes 734.510

  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • 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.
  • Person: includes individuals, corporations, associations, firms, partnerships, limited liability companies and joint stock companies. See Oregon Statutes 174.100
  • Receiver: means receiver, rehabilitator, liquidator or conservator, as the context may require. See Oregon Statutes 734.014

(1) ‘Association’ means the Oregon Insurance Guaranty Association created by ORS § 734.550.

(2) ‘Board’ means the board of directors of the association.

(3) ‘Controlled insurer’ means an insurer 70 percent or more of whose stock is owned by a corporation, or by two or more corporations that are under common ownership.

(4)(a) ‘Covered claim’ means an unpaid claim, including a claim for unearned premiums and a claim by the Workers’ Benefit Fund for payments made pursuant to ORS Chapter 656, that arises out of and is within the coverage and limits of an insurance policy to which ORS § 734.510 to 734.710 apply and which is in force at the time of the occurrence giving rise to the unpaid claim, made by a person insured under such policy or by a person suffering injury or damage for which a person insured under such policy is legally liable, if:

(A) The insurer issuing the policy becomes an insolvent insurer after September 9, 1971; and

(B) The claimant or insured is a resident of this state at the time of the occurrence giving rise to the unpaid claim, or the property for which claim arises is permanently located in this state.

(b) ‘Covered claim’ does not include:

(A) Any amount in excess of the applicable limits of liability provided by an insurance policy to which ORS § 734.510 to 734.710 apply;

(B) Any amount due any reinsurer, insurer, insurance pool or underwriting association as subrogated recoveries or otherwise;

(C) Except for claims arising out of workers’ compensation policies subject to ORS Chapter 656, a claim filed with the association after the final date set by the court for the filing of claims against the liquidator or receiver of an insolvent insurer; or

(D) Any first party claim by an insured whose net worth exceeds $25 million on December 31 of the year next preceding the date the insurer becomes an insolvent insurer, provided that an insured’s net worth on such date is deemed to include the aggregate net worth of the insured and all of its subsidiaries as calculated on a consolidated basis.

(5) ‘Dividend’ means any payment made to the stockholders of a controlled insurer, which payment is directly related to ownership of the stock.

(6) ‘Insolvent insurer’ means a member insurer:

(a) Authorized to transact insurance in this state either at the time the policy was issued or at the time of the occurrence giving rise to the unpaid claim;

(b) Against which a final order of liquidation, with a finding of insolvency, has been entered by a court of competent jurisdiction in the insurer’s domicile after September 9, 1971; and

(c) With respect to which no order, judgment or finding relating to the insolvency of the insurer, whether preliminary or temporary in nature or otherwise, has been issued by a court of competent jurisdiction or by any insurance commissioner, insurance department or similar official or body prior to September 9, 1971, or which was in fact insolvent prior to September 9, 1971, and such de facto insolvency was or should have been known by the chief insurance regulatory official of its domicile.

(7) ‘Member insurer’ means an insurer, including a reciprocal insurer, authorized to transact insurance in this state that writes any kind of insurance to which ORS § 734.510 to 734.710 apply.

(8) ‘Net direct written premiums’ means direct gross premiums written in this state on insurance policies to which ORS § 734.510 to 734.710 apply, less return premiums thereon and dividends paid or credited to policyholders on such direct business. ‘Net direct written premiums’ does not include premiums on contracts between insurers or reinsurers.

(9) ‘Plan’ means the plan of operation of the association established pursuant to ORS § 734.590. [1971 c.616 § 5; 1977 c.793 § 8; 2001 c.974 § 1; 2003 c.576 § 556]