All funds received by, accepted by, or held by a public adjuster on behalf of an insured toward the settlement of a claim shall be handled in a fiduciary capacity and submitted for collection to or deposited in a separate noninterest-bearing fiduciary trust account or accounts in a financial institution licensed to do business in the Commonwealth no later than the close of the second business day from the receipt or acceptance of such funds. Such funds shall be held separately from any personal or nonbusiness funds, shall not be commingled or combined with other funds, and shall be reasonably ascertainable from the books of accounts and records of the public adjuster. The public adjuster shall maintain an accurate record and itemization of the funds deposited into this account. Any such funds held by such public adjuster shall be disbursed within 30 calendar days of any invoice received by such public adjuster upon approval of the insured or claimant that the work has been satisfactorily completed.

Terms Used In Virginia Code 38.2-1845.16

  • Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
  • Public adjuster: means an individual or business entity who receives, either directly or indirectly, a salary, fee, commission, or other compensation for engaging in public adjusting. See Virginia Code 38.2-1845.1
  • 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.
  • Trust account: A general term that covers all types of accounts in a trust department, such as estates, guardianships, and agencies. Source: OCC

2012, cc. 734, 735; 2019, c. 627.