§ 31-1303 — Jurisdiction and venue.

(a) No delinquency proceeding shall be commenced under this chapter by anyone other than the Commissioner of the Department of Insurance, Securities, and Banking and no court shall have jurisdiction to entertain, hear, or determine any proceeding commenced by any other person.

(b) No court of the District of Columbia shall have jurisdiction to entertain, hear, or determine any complaint praying for the dissolution, liquidation, rehabilitation, sequestration, conservation, or receivership of any insurer; or praying for an injunction or restraining order or other relief preliminary to, incidental to, or relating to these proceedings other than in accordance with this chapter.

(c) In addition to other grounds for jurisdiction provided by law of the District, the Superior Court of the District of Columbia has jurisdiction over a person served pursuant to the Superior Court Rules of Civil Procedure or other applicable provisions of law in an action brought by the receiver of a domestic insurer or an alien insurer domiciled in the District:

(1) If the person served is an agent, broker, or other person who has at any time written policies of insurance for or has acted in any manner whatsoever on behalf of an insurer against which a delinquency proceeding has been instituted, in any action resulting from or incident to such a relationship with the insurer;

(2) If the person served is a reinsurer who has at any time entered into a contract of reinsurance with an insurer against which a delinquency proceeding has been instituted, or is an agent or broker of or for the reinsurer, in any action on or incident to the reinsurance contract;

(3) If the person served is or has been an officer, director, manager, trustee, organizer, promoter, or other person in a position of comparable authority or influence over an insurer against which a delinquency proceeding has been instituted, in any action resulting from or incident to such a relationship with the insurer;

(4) If the person served is or was at the time of the institution of the delinquency proceeding against the insurer holding assets in which the receiver claims an interest on behalf of the insurer, in any action concerning the assets; or

(5) If the person served is obligated to the insurer, in any way whatsoever, in any action on or incident to the obligation.

(d) If the court, on motion of any party, finds that any action should as a matter of substantial justice be tried in a forum outside the District, the court may enter an appropriate order to stay further proceedings on the action in the District.

(e) All action authorized in this section shall be brought in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

Legislative History

Oct. 15, 1993, D.C. Law 10-35, § 4, 40 DCR 5773; May 21, 1997, D.C. Law 11-268, § 10(z)(2), 44 DCR 1730; June 11, 2004, D.C. Law 15-166, § 4(i)(2), 51 DCR 2817