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453. Each association provided for in this chapter may, on the death of a member, levy an assessment on the surviving members of not exceeding three dollars for each member, and collect and pay the same to the nominee of such decedent, and may also provide for the payment of such annual payments by members as may be deemed just, but no member must be subject to any annual assessment in excess of that established when he joined the association. The association may make such by-laws not inconsistent with the laws of the state as may be necessary for its government and the transaction of its business; may, by its name, sue and be sued; loan such funds as it may have on hand; and own sufficient real estate for its business purposes and such as it may be necessary to purchase on foreclosure of its mortgages. 1905-411.

CHAPTER V.

Corporations to Discover Fire and Save Property and Human Life From Destruction Thereby.

Section

Section
453a. General powers, corpora- 453b. Right of way to fires.

tion.

453c. Annual meetings, generally.

453a. Any corporation of underwriters heretofore organized and now existing, or which may be hereafter organized under the laws of this state, for the purpose of discovering and preventing fires and of saving property and human life from conflagration, and doing business within any municipal corporation of this state, has power, at its own proper cost and expense, to maintain a corps of men, with proper officers, equipped with the necessary machinery and apparatus therefor, whose duty it is, so far as practicable, to discover and prevent fires and save property and human life from conflagration; and for the effective discharge of such duties, authority is hereby granted such corps to enter any building on fire, or in which property is on fire, or which such corps or any officer thereof deems to be immediately exposed to any existing fire, or in danger of taking fire from a burning building, and to remove or otherwise save and protect from conflagration or damage by water any property, during and immediately after such fire. Nothing in this chapter must be so construed as in any degree to lessen, impair, or interfere with the powers, privileges, duties, or authority of the regular fire department of such municipality; nor can any act of such corps justify any owner of any building or property in abandoning such building or property. 1905-571.

453b. Such corporation, with its officers and corps, when running to a fire with its horses, vehicles, and salvage apparatus, has the same right of way as is or may be bestowed by any ordinance of the municipality or law of this state upon the regular fire department of the municipality wherein such corporation is acting; but the rights of such fire department must always be paramount to the rights of such corporation. All ordinances now existing or which may hereafter be passed by the municipal authorities of any city and county, or of any incorporated city or town wherein such a corporation may carry on business, and all laws of this state applicable to such city and county, or city or town, for the conviction or punishment of any person or persons willfully or carelessly obstructing the progress of the apparatus of the fire department of such city and county, or city or town, while going to a fire, or of any person or persons willfully or carelessly injuring any animal or property of said fire department, are equally applicable to any per

son or persons willfully or carelessly obstructing the progress of the apparatus of such corporation while going to a fire, and to any person or persons who willfully or carelessly injures any animal or property of such corporation; and said laws and ordinances, and their penalties, may be enforced in the same courts and in the same manner, and with equal force and effect, as in the case of the fire department. 1905--572.

453c. In the month of July, in every year, there must be held a meeting of all corporations created for the purposes specified in this chapter; of which ten days' previous notice must be inserted in at least one daily newspaper published in the municipality where said corporation is organized or established, at which meeting each insurance company, corporation, association, underwriter, agent, person, or persons doing a fire insurance business in said municipality, whether members of said corporation or not, shall have a right to be represented and shall be entitled to one vote. A majority of the whole number so represented has power to decide upon the question of sustaining the fire patrol organized by corporations heretofore created, or that may be hereafter created, and fixing the maximum amount of expenses which may be incurred therefor during the fiscal year next to ensue, which amount must in no case exceed two per centum of the aggregate premiums returned as received, as provided in this section, and the whole of such amount, or so much thereof as may be necessary, may be assessed upon all insurance companies, corporations, associations, underwriters, agents, person, or persons who assume risks and accept premiums for fire insurance in said municipality, as hereinbefore mentioned, in proportion to the several amounts of premiums returned, as received by each, as hereinafter provided, and such assessment is collectible by and in the name of said corporation, in any court of law in the state of California having jurisdiction, in such manner and at such time or times as said corporation may determine. In order to provide for the payment of persons employed by said corporation, and to maintain suitable rooms, and apparatus for saving life and property contemplated, said corporation is empowered to require a statement to be furnished, semi-annually, by all insurance companies, corporations, associations, underwriters, agents, or persons, of the aggregate amount of premiums received for insuring property in the municipality where said corporation is organized or established, for and during the six months next preceding the first day of July and the first day of January of each year, which statement must be sworn to by the president or secretary of the corporation or association, or by the agent or person so acting or effecting such insurance in said municipality, and must be handed to the secretary of said corporation heretofore created or hereafter to be created, under the provisions of this chapter within ten days after the first day of July and the first day of January of each year. Said secretary must, within the ten days aforesaid, by written or printed demand signed by him, require from every insurance company, corporation, association, underwriter, agent, or person engaged in the business of fire insurance in the municipality where said corporation is organized or established, the statement hereinbefore provided for. Such demand may be delivered personally at the office of such insurance company, corporation, association, underwriter, agent, or person within said municipality, and every officer of such insurance company, corporation, association, and every such underwriter, agent, or person, who, for fifteen days after said demand, neglects to render the statement herein provided for, forfeits fifty dollars for the use of said corporation, and also forfeits for its use twenty-five dollars in addition for every day he so neglects after the expiration of the said

fifteen days, and such additional penalty may be computed and collected up to the time of the trial of any action brought for the recovery thereof. The penalty herein provided for may be sued for and collected, with costs, in any court of law within the state of California having jurisdiction, by and in the name of said corporation. 1905-572.

CHAPTER VI.

Life, Health, Accident and Annuity or Endowment Insurance on the Assessment Plan.

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453g. Insurance contracts gener- 453m. General provision, lapsing.

ally. 453n. Certificate fees, penalties. 453h. Reserve emergency funds. 4530. Insurance commissioner to 453i. Foreign corporations genpresent bill for certain expenses.

erally.

453j. Limitations upon right to 453p. Exemption of fraternal soissue contracts of insur

ance.

cieties.

453d. Every contract whereby a benefit may accrue to a party or parties therein named upon the death or physical disability of a person insured thereunder, or for the payment of any sums of money dependent in any degree upon the collection of assessments or dues from persons holding similar contracts, is deemed a contract of mutual insurance upon the assessment plan. Such contracts must show that the liabilities of the insured thereunder are not limited to fixed premiums. 1905-418.

453e. Corporations may be formed to carry on the business of mutual insurance upon the assessment plan, and are subject only to the provisions of this chapter. No such corporation may issue contracts of insurance until at least five hundred persons have applied, in writing, to the insurance commissioner, for membership or insurance therein, and have paid to the treasurer of such corporation the sum of fifteen thousand dollars. This sum must be invested in bonds or securities, approved by the insurance commissioner of the state, or deposited in some bank in this state where it will earn interest. Said bonds or securities, or evidences of such deposit, must be placed, through the insurance commissioner of this state, with the state treasurer, and the principal sum must be held in trust for the contract holders of such corporation, with the right in the corporation to exchange said bonds, securities, or evidence of bank deposit for others of like value. Such corporation must also, as a condition precedent to issuing any contracts of insurance, obtain the written certificate of the insurance commissioner that it has complied with the requirements of this chapter; and that the name of the corporation is not the same as that of any other corporation of this or other states, as indicated by the insurance department reports in his office; nor must the commissioner approve any name or title so closely resembling another as to mislead the public. No corporation formed hereunder has legal existence after one year from the date of its articles unless its organization has been completed and business commenced; nor shall any corporation or individual solicit, or cause to be solicited, any business, until such corporation

has complied with the provisions of section six hundred thirty-three of the Political Code. Nothing in the chapter chall be construed to exempt any corporation from the provisions of sections two hundred ninety-six and two hundred ninety-nine of this code. 1923.

453f. Any existing corporation engaged in the business of life health, accident, or endowment insurance on the assessment plan may reincorporate under the provisions of this code and chapter, but is not obliged so to do, and may, without such reincorporation, exercise the rights, powers, and privileges conferred by this chapter. 1905-419.

453g. Every contract of insurance issued by such corporation must specify the sum or sums to be paid upon the happening of the contingency insured against, and when such payments must be made. Unless the contract is invalidated by fraud or by breach of its conditions, the corporation is obligated to pay the beneficiary the amount or amounts specified in its contract at the time or times therein named, and such indebtedness is a lien upon all the property of such corporation, with priority over all indebtedness thereafter incurred, except as hereinafter provided in case of insolvency. Failure to make such payment, within thirty days after notice, at the home office, by mail, as provided by law, of a final judgment, unless waiver is made by the beneficiary, constitutes a forfeiture of the right to do business. 1905-419.

453h. Every domestic corporation, organized to do or doing the business of insurance on the assessment plan, must accumulate a reserve or emergency fund, which must, at all times, be not less than the largest benefit contracted to be paid by it to any one person. Every corporation organized under the provisions of this chapter must accumulate such fund within a year from the date of its certificate of incorporation. Such fund to the extent of the largest amount contracted to be paid by any such corporation to any one person, must be invested and deposited, as provided in section four hundred and fifty-three e, with the right in the corporation to exchange any such securities for others of equal value. The deposit required by section four hundred and fifty-three e constitutes a part of the reserve required by this section, at the option of such corporation. When any such corporation discontinues business, this fund must be returned to such corporation or disposed of as may be determined by the superior court of the county in which is its principal place of business. 1905-419.

453i. Corporations organized under the laws of any other state or country to transact the business of mutual assessment insurance must, as a condition precedent to transacting business in this state, comply with the provisions of sections four hundred and five and four hundred and eight of this code, and deposit with the insurance commissioner of this state a certified copy of its charter or other instrument required by its home authorities; a statement under oath, of its president or secretary, of its business for the preceding year, in such form as may be required by the insurance commissioner of this state; an appointment of a general agent, service upon whom binds the corporation; a certificate that for the next preceding twelve months it has paid in full the maximum amount named in its contract of insurance; a certificate from the proper officer of its state or government that like corporations of this state are legally entitled to do business in such state or county; copies of its contracts of insurance and applications, which must show that the liabilities of its members are not limited to fixed premiums; and evidence satisfactory to the insurance commissioner, that the e

poration has accumulated a fund equal to that required of like corporations in this state, constituting a reserve or surplus fund held in trust for the benefit of its contract-holders, and so invested and held as required by the laws of the state or government under which such corporation was organized. The insurance commissioner must thereupon issue a license to such corporation to do business in this state. This license must be renewed annually, and may be revoked whenever it is ascertained that the statements required to be made by this section are not true. Upon such revocation, notice thereof must be given by the insurance commissioner by publication in some newspaper published in the city and county of San Francisco, for two weeks, daily, and no new contracts must be made by such company in this state. When any other state or country imposes any additional license, fees, taxes, or penalties upon any corporation organized or doing business under this chapter, like license, fees, taxes, or penalties are imposed upon corporations of the same kind and their agents of such state or country doing business in this state. 1905-419.

453j. No corporation doing business under this chapter, except accident or casualty corporations, must issue a contract of insurance upon the life of any person under fifteen nor over sixty-one years of age. Every such contract of insurance must be founded upon written application therefor, and, except where the application is for health, accident, or casualty insurance only, or for one hundred dollars life insurance or less, such application must be accompanied by the report of a reputable physician, containing a detailed statement of his examination of the applicant, showing the applicant to be in good health, and recommending the issuance of a contract of insurance. Any solicitor, agent, employee, examining physician, or other person, making a false or fraudulent statement to any corporation doing business under this chapter, with reference to any application for insurance, or for the purpose of obtaining any money or benefit from such corporation, is guilty of a misdemeanor; and any person who makes a false statement of any material fact or thing in a sworn statement as to the death or disability of a contract-holder, in any such corporation for the purpose of procuring or aiding the beneficiary or beneficiaries or contract-holder in procuring the payment of a benefit named in the contract, is guilty of perjury. 1905420.

453k. The money, benefit, annuity, endowment, charity, relief, or aid to be paid as provided by the contracts issued by any corporation doing business under this chapter, is not liable to attachment or other process, nor to be seized, taken, appropriated, or applied by any legal or equitable process, nor by operation of law, to pay any debts or liability of the contract-holder or any beneficiary named thereunder. 1905-421.

453 1. Every corporation, whether domestic or foreign, doing the business of effecting insurance on the assessment plan, must annually, on or before the first day of February, file with the in surance commissioner, in such form as he may prescribe, a statement of its affairs for the year ending on the preceding thirty-first day of December. The insurance commissioner, in person, or by duly authorized deputy, has the power of examination into the affairs of any domestic corporation doing business or claiming to do business under this chapter, at any time, in his discretion, and must make such examination at least once a year. If he, after an examination of the affairs of a corporation, finds that it is not doing its business in conformity to this chapter, or that it is doing a fraudulent or

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