(1) Except as otherwise provided in ORS 733.580 and 733.600, an insurer may invest in real property only if used for the purposes or acquired in the manner and within the limits as follows:
(a) The insurer may invest in the land and the buildings thereon in which it has its principal office, and in such other real property as required for its convenient accommodation in the transaction of business. Such investments shall not exceed in the aggregate 10 percent of the assets of the insurer, except with the consent of the Director of the Department of Consumer and Business Services.
(b) The insurer may invest in real property that is acquired in satisfaction of loans, mortgages, liens, judgments or debts previously owing to the insurer in the course of its business.
(c) The insurer may invest in real property acquired in part payment of the consideration on the sale of other real property owned by the insurer if the transaction does not increase the investment of the insurer in real property.
(d) The insurer may invest in real property acquired by gift or devise or through merger, consolidation or bulk reinsurance of another insurer under the Insurance Code.
(e) The insurer may invest in the vendor’s interest in real property subject to a contract of sale. The amount invested in the vendor’s interest under such a contract shall not exceed, except with the consent of the director:
(A) Ninety percent of the market value of the subject real property, when the real property is one or two family residential property.
(B) Eighty percent of the market value of the subject real property, when the real property is other than that described in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph.
(f) The insurer may invest in real property or any interest therein that is acquired or held by purchase, lease or otherwise, other than real property used primarily for agricultural, ranch, mining, development of oil or mineral resources, recreational, amusement or club purposes, if the real property or interest therein is acquired as an investment for the production of income or acquired to be improved or developed for such investment purposes pursuant to an existing program therefor. The insurer may hold, improve, develop, maintain, manage, lease, sell and convey real property acquired by it under this paragraph. Real property and interests therein so acquired may be leased or sublet. Except with the consent of the director, an insurer shall not have an amount exceeding five percent of its assets at any one time invested in real property and interests therein under this paragraph.
(g) The insurer may invest in additional real property and in equipment incident to real property if necessary or convenient for the purpose of enhancing the sale or other value of real property previously acquired or held by the insurer under paragraph (b), (c), (d) or (f) of this subsection. The real property and equipment shall be included, together with the real property for the enhancement of which it was acquired, for the purpose of applicable investment limits.
(h) The insurer may invest in real property without regard to whether the property is income-producing when acquired if the insurer intends to improve the property for resale or if the insurer intends that the property will be income-producing. The insurer may also invest in real property that is income-producing and used primarily for agricultural, ranch, mining, development of oil or mineral resources, recreational, amusement or club purposes. Funds invested under this paragraph shall not exceed the lesser of five percent of the insurer’s assets or 50 percent of the insurer’s capital and surplus, except with the consent of the director.
(i) Except with the consent of the director, all real property owned by the insurer under this subsection, except as to properties described in paragraphs (a) and (e) of this subsection, shall not at any time exceed 10 percent of the assets of the insurer.
(2) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (3) of this section:
(a) Real property acquired under this section shall be disposed of within five years after it ceases to be income-producing or to be used by the insurer for its business operation, whichever is later.
(b) Real property acquired under subsection (1)(h) of this section that is not income-producing when acquired shall be disposed of within five years after acquisition if the real property is not improved for resale or if the real property is not income-producing during the five years.
(c) When an investment or any combination of investments by an insurer in real property exceeds any applicable limitation under this section other than a limitation of time, the insurer, not later than the fifth year after the limitation is exceeded, shall dispose of sufficient real property that is subject to the limitation to comply with the limitation.
(3) Any real property acquired under this section that otherwise qualifies as an investment under ORS 733.510 to 733.780 may be retained and held if approved as an investment in the manner prescribed by ORS 733.730 and 733.740. The director may extend the time limit prescribed in subsection (2) of this section if the interests of the insurer will suffer by a “forced sale” of the property. [Formerly 738.265; 1979 c.846 §1; 1989 c.425 §4; 2003 c.576 §555]
Section: Previous 733.560 733.570 733.575 733.578 733.580 733.590 733.600 733.610 733.620 733.630 733.635 733.640 733.650 733.652 733.654 NextLast modified: August 7, 2008