Mazgulski v. Lewis

118 Misc. 2d 600, 462 N.Y.S.2d 84, 1982 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 4105
CourtNew York Supreme Court
DecidedMay 6, 1982
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 118 Misc. 2d 600 (Mazgulski v. Lewis) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Mazgulski v. Lewis, 118 Misc. 2d 600, 462 N.Y.S.2d 84, 1982 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 4105 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1982).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Edward J. Greenfield, J.

Respondent’s motion to reargue the prior determination of this court (Sutton, J.) in this CPLR article 78 proceeding in which petitioners sought to vacate and annul, in whole or in part, regulation 27-A (11 NYCRR Part 185) of the New York State Insurance Department is granted. This court accepts jurisdiction over this motion pursuant to CPLR 9002.

The trustee petitioners are trustees of a trust established by agreement between the trustees and the New York State Bankers Association. The trust, inter alia, provides and maintains group credit life and group credit accident [601]*601and health insurance policies (cumulatively credit insurance) issued by duly licensed insurance carriers for the benefit of the members of the association which want to avail themselves of the program and qualify under the terms of the trust agreement. The trustees currently offer six different types of credit insurance to participating banks: life insurance (1) on installment loans; (2) on real estate mortgage loans; (3) on revolving credit/credit card loans; and (4) on time notes; and accident and health insurance; (5) on installment loans; and (6) on real estate mortgage loans. Credit insurance is made available to the participating banks through master policies which have been issued to the trustees as policyholder. Participating banks provide credit insurance to some of their loan customers under the master policies issued to the trustees. They impose premiums and other related charges (premiums) on their loan customers and, as a service, permit them to borrow amounts sufficient to pay the premium and charge interest or finance charges on these amounts.

Under the master policies any surplus or dividend is distributed by the issuing insurance carriers to the trustees, who allocate the dividends among the participating banks. No portion of the dividends are distributed to the debtor/insureds or used to reduce their debt.

Many of the loans made by participating banks are for periods in excess of three years and, therefore, credit insurance is often provided for periods in excess of three years.

On March 3, 1980, following public hearings, the superintendent promulgated regulation 27-A, which provides, inter alia, that effective June 1, 1980 or the first policy anniversary date thereafter, payment of dividends to the trustees or participating banks is prohibited. Any dividends must either be allocated to borrowers or be used to reduce future premiums (11 NYCRR 185.10). Section 185.7 of regulation 27-A (11 NYCRR 185.7 [i]) prohibits the collection of any premium for a period of insurance in excess of one year (or, with the approval of the superintendent in excess of three years); requires creditors to make insurance available to borrowers for the full term of the loan, but forbids the imposition of additional underwriting [602]*602charges for reissuance or renewal of a policy after the expiration of the initial period; prohibits the creditor from charging the debtor an amount greater than that charged by the insurer; and requires the creditor to provide coverage to the debtor for a period of two months following the debtor’s failure to pay his premium.

Petitioners, trustees of the New York State Bankers Group Creditors Life Insurance Plan and two participating banks, seek judgment annulling those portions of regulation 27-A of the Department of Insurance (11 NYCRR 185.0 et seq.) which require the allocation of dividends on group credit life insurance policies to individual borrowers (11 NYCRR 185.10) and which prohibit the financing of insurance premiums (11 NYCRR 185.7 [f]).

Upon the original submission before Justice Sutton, petitioners also stated that since the promulgation of these regulations by respondent superintendent, the superintendent had withdrawn his approval previously given to the insurance policy forms. Petitioners argued that the superintendent had failed to follow the procedure set forth in section 141 of the Insurance Law which allows him to withdraw his approval only after notice and a hearing given to the insurer. Mr. Justice Sutton rejected the superintendent’s position that the public hearings had on the proposed new regulation 27-A satisfied the requirements of section 141 of the Insurance Law and stayed the provisions of regulation 27-A until hearings on withdrawal of approval were held and determinations made. Petitioners join in the application to reargue and while they believe that the court properly decided the issue concerning section 141 they ask that the court go beyond that issue and deal with the substantive issues of the validity of the newly promulgated regulations.

Respondent argues that section 141 of the Insurance Law does not apply under these facts and circumstances. First it is asserted that neither section 204 (subd 1, par [c]) of the Insurance Law, which authorizes duly licensed life insurance companies to issue group life insurance policies in connection with credit transactions, and section 154 (subd 7, par [a]) of the Insurance Law which requires that insurers file with the superintendent their credit insur[603]*603anee policy forms for approval and paragraph (b) which authorizes the superintendent to prescribe official regulations, contains any reference to section 141. Therefore, it is urged that the superintendent, by performing his quasi-legislative duties in promulgating the 1980 regulation 27-A repealed the former (1963) regulation 27-A. The repeal of the former regulation 27-A is tantamount to a repeal of any prior approvals of credit insurance policy forms and not a withdrawal of an approval formerly granted.

The power granted by the Legislature to the superintendent to promulgate official regulations under section 154 (subd 7, par [b]) of the Insurance Law by its nature includes the power to modify or repeal prior regulations. Any construction to the contrary would result in a hodgepodge of regulations which would be unduly lengthy and complicated and which might contradict one another. It is clear that once filed with the Secretary of State, regulations have the force and effect of law (NY Const, art IV, § 8; see People v Cull, 26 Misc 2d 668, affd 10 NY2d 123). “[Tjhere can be little doubt that, as employed in the constitutional provision [the term ‘rule or regulation’] embraces any kind of legislative or quasi-legislative norm or prescription which establishes a pattern or course of conduct for the future.” (People v Cull, 10 NY2d 123, 126.)

Thus, it is apparent that the forms approved under former regulation 27-A, as of the effective date of the newly promulgated regulation 27-A, failed to comply with the new regulation having the effect of a new law. This is not the same as a withdrawal of approval of a submitted form under existing regulation where the superintendent unilaterally determines that the form is contrary to legal requirements, is unfair, deceptive, etc. In such a case, the insurance carrier in issuing new policies, has the right to rely upon the superintendent’s prior approval and due process dictates that notice to the insurer and a hearing be afforded prior to any withdrawal.

The public hearings and filing of the newly promulgated regulation fulfill the due process requirement and separate notice and hearings to each insurer are not necessary as to the forms.

[604]

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Related

Mazgulski v. Lewis
473 N.E.2d 261 (New York Court of Appeals, 1984)

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Bluebook (online)
118 Misc. 2d 600, 462 N.Y.S.2d 84, 1982 N.Y. Misc. LEXIS 4105, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mazgulski-v-lewis-nysupct-1982.