§ 31–4419. Conversion of stock companies into mutual life companies.

Any domestic stock company organized or licensed to do business, whether incorporated under this subdivision, or any previous existing law, or act of Congress, may become a mutual company, and to that end may carry out a plan for the acquisition of shares of its capital stock; provided, however, that such plan:

(1) Shall have been adopted by a vote of a majority of the directors of such company;

(2) Shall have been approved by a vote of stockholders representing a majority of the capital stock at a meeting of stockholders called for the purpose;

(3) Shall have been approved by a majority vote of the policyholders voting at a meeting, called for the purpose, of policyholders each insured for at least $1,000 and whose insurance shall then be in force and shall have been in force for at least 1 year prior to such meeting; notice of such meeting shall be given by mailing such notice from the home office of such corporation at least 30 days prior to such meeting, in a sealed envelope, postage prepaid, addressed to such policyholders at their last known post-office addresses, and such meeting shall be otherwise provided for and conducted in such manner as shall be provided in such plan; provided, however, that policyholders may vote in person, by proxy, or by mail; that all votes shall be cast by ballot and the Commissioner shall supervise and direct the methods and procedure of said meeting and appoint an adequate number of inspectors to conduct the voting at said meeting who shall have power to determine all questions concerning the verification of the ballots, the ascertainment of the validity thereof, the qualifications of the voters, and the canvass of the vote, and who shall certify to the Commissioner and to the company the result thereof, and with respect thereto shall act under such rules and regulations as shall be prescribed by the Council of the District of Columbia; that all necessary expenses incurred by the Commissioner shall be paid by the company as certified to by him; and

(4) Shall have been submitted to the Commissioner and shall have been approved by him in writing; provided, that every payment for the acquisition of any shares of the capital stock of such company, the purchase price of which is not fixed by such plan, shall be subject to the approval of the Commissioner; provided further, that neither such plan, nor any such payment, shall be approved by the Commissioner unless at the time of such approvals, respectively, the company, after deducting the aggregate sum appropriated by such plan for the acquisition of any part or all of its capital stock, and in the case of any payment not fixed by such plan and subject to separate approval as aforesaid after the approval of such plan, after deducting also the amount of such payment, shall be possessed of assets not less than the entire liabilities of the company, including the net values of its outstanding contracts computed according to the standard adopted by the company under § 31-4701, and also all funds, contingent reserves, and surplus save so much of the latter as shall have been appropriated or paid under such plan.

(June 19, 1934, 48 Stat. 1149, ch. 672, ch. III, § 19; May 21, 1997, D.C. Law 11-268, § 10(k), 44 DCR 1730.)

Prior Codifications

1981 Ed., § 35-619.

1973 Ed., § 35-519.

Editor's Notes

Department of Insurance abolished: See Historical and Statutory Notes following § 31-4402.

Change in Government

This section originated at a time when local government powers were delegated to a Board of Commissioners of the District of Columbia (see Acts Relating to the Establishment of the District of Columbia and its Various Forms of Governmental Organization in Volume 1). Section 402(274) of Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1967 (see Reorganization Plans in Volume 1) transferred all of the functions of the Board of Commissioners under this section to the District of Columbia Council, subject to the right of the Commissioner as provided in § 406 of the Plan. The District of Columbia Self-Government and Governmental Reorganization Act, 87 Stat. 818, § 711 ( D.C. Code, § 1-207.11), abolished the District of Columbia Council and the Office of Commissioner of the District of Columbia. These branches of government were replaced by the Council of the District of Columbia and the Office of Mayor of the District of Columbia, respectively. Accordingly, and also pursuant to § 714(a) of such Act ( D.C. Code, § 1-207.14(a)), appropriate changes in terminology were made in this section.