Article XXXIII. Urban Property Insurance  

    (215 ILCS 5/522) (from Ch. 73, par. 1065.69)
    Sec. 522. Purpose. This article is to make basic property insurance increasingly available to the citizens of this State, and to deter the insurance industry from geographically redlining urban areas of this State by requiring the restructuring of the Industry Placement Facility and administering the FAIR Plan (Fair Access to Insurance Requirements) to deliver residential property insurance to all citizens of this State on a reasonable access and marketing basis by offering homeowners insurance, by requiring immediate binding of eligible risks, by making use of premium installment payment plans, and by further establishing reasonable service standards in its plan of operation subject to the approval and review of the Director; and, to establish a central operation facility for the equitable distribution of losses and expenses in the writing of the basic property insurance and homeowners insurance in this State.
(Source: P.A. 80-1365.)

    (215 ILCS 5/523) (from Ch. 73, par. 1065.70)
    Sec. 523. Definitions.) (1) "Basic Property Insurance" means the coverage against direct loss to real or tangible personal property at a fixed location provided in the Standard Fire Policy and Extended Coverage Endorsement and such vandalism and malicious mischief or such other classes of insurance as may be added with respect to the property by the Industry Placement Facility with the approval of the Director, except insurance on automobile, farm and manufacturing risks and it shall include homeowners insurance.
    (2) "Homeowners Insurance" means the personal multi-peril property coverages commonly known as Homeowners Insurance.
    (3) "Inspection Bureau(s)" means the organization or organizations designated by the Industry Placement Facility with the approval of the Director to make inspections to determine the condition of the properties for which basic property insurance is sought and to perform such other duties as may be authorized by the Industry Placement Facility;
    (4) "Industry Placement Facility" or "Facility" means the organization formed by insurers licensed to write and engaged in writing basic property insurance (including multi-peril policies) within the State of Illinois to assist applicants in urban areas in securing basic property insurance and to formulate and administer a program for the equitable apportionment among such insurers of such basic property insurance.
    (5) "Urban Area" means any community having a blighted, deteriorated or deteriorating area which the Facility has designated with the approval of the Director, or which the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has approved for an urban renewal project after a local public agency has been formed in the community to avail itself of a U.S. Housing and Urban Renewal Program, or which the Director of Insurance has designated.
    (6) "Premiums Written" means the gross direct premiums charged with respect to property in this State on all policies of basic property insurance and the basic property insurance premium components of all multi-peril policies less return premiums, dividends paid or credited to policyholders, or the unused or unabsorbed portions of premium deposits.
(Source: P.A. 80-1365.)

    (215 ILCS 5/524) (from Ch. 73, par. 1065.71)
    Sec. 524. FAIR Plan Procedure. (1) Any person having an insurable interest in real or tangible personal property at a fixed location in an urban area who, after diligent effort has been unable to obtain basic property insurance, as evidenced by 3 attempts to procure such insurance, is entitled upon application to the Facility to an inspection and evaluation of the property by representatives of the Inspection Bureau.
    (2) Any person who is an owner-resident of a one to four family dwelling unit at a fixed location in an urban area and whose residential real property insurance coverage has been nonrenewed through the voluntary insurance market shall be entitled to submit a binding application of coverage to the Facility for such period of time as is required by the Facility to conduct a reasonable inspection of the residential real property.
    (3) The manner and scope of the inspection and evaluation report for nonresidential property shall be prescribed by the Facility with the approval of the Director. The inspection must include, but need not be limited to, pertinent structural and occupancy features as well as the general condition of the building and surrounding structures. A representative photograph of the property may be taken as part of the inspection.
    (4) Promptly after the request for inspection is received an inspection must be made and an inspection report filed with the company or companies designated by the Facility. A copy of the completed inspection and evaluation report must be sent to the Facility and made available to the applicant and to insurers in the voluntary insurance market upon request.
    (5) If the Inspection Bureau finds that the residential property meets the reasonable underwriting standards established under Section 525, the applicant shall be so informed in writing. If the residential property does not meet the criteria, the applicant shall be informed, in writing, of the reasons for the failure of the residential property to meet the criteria.
    (6) If, at any time, the applicant makes improvements in the residential property or its condition which he or she believes are sufficient to make the residential property meet the criteria, a representative of the Inspection Bureau shall reinspect the residential property upon request. In any case, the applicant for residential property insurance shall be eligible for one reinspection any time beginning 60 days after his or her initial Fair plan inspection. If upon reinspection the residential property meets the reasonable underwriting standards established under Section 525, the applicant shall be so informed in writing.
(Source: P.A. 81-1430.)

    (215 ILCS 5/525) (from Ch. 73, par. 1065.72)
    Sec. 525. Industry Placement Program.)
    (1) Within 30 days after the effective date of this Article, all insurers engaged in writing in this State, on a direct basis, basic property insurance or any property insurance component in multi-peril policies, other than local district, county and township mutual companies, must establish an Industry Placement Facility to formulate and administer a Program for the equitable apportionment among such insurers of basic property insurance which may be afforded applicants in urban areas whose property is insurable in accordance with reasonable underwriting standards, but who, after diligent efforts, are unable to procure such insurance through normal channels, as evidenced by 3 attempts to procure such insurance. The Program may also provide, with the approval of the Director, for the use of deductibles, percentage participation clauses and other underwriting devices and for assessment of all members in amounts sufficient to operate the Facility, and may establish maximum limits of liability to be placed through the Program, commissions to be paid to the license producer designated by the applicant and for relieving any company from accepting referrals under the FAIR Plan, in whole or in part, for reasonable cause. The Program may also provide that the Facility issue policies in its own name. The Program shall establish reasonable underwriting standards for determining insurability of a risk, subject to the approval of the Director.
    (2) The Industry Placement Program, through its plan of operation, shall provide reasonable access and marketing procedures for (a) immediate binding of eligible risks; (b) premium installment payment plans; and, (c) establishing adequate marketing and service facilities in all designated urban areas of this State.
    (3) Homeowners insurance coverage shall become part of the Industry Placement Program of basic property insurance. The Facility shall develop, with the consultation of the Director, a homeowners insurance contract(s) for urban areas. Such Program of homeowners insurance will be implemented through a plan of operation specifically entitling owner residents who have been nonrenewed through normal insurance channels of immediate binding coverage pending a reasonable period of time for the Facility to conduct an inspection of the premises to determine whether the premises comply with underwriting requirements set out in the Program.
    (4) Each insurer, as a condition of its authority to transact such kinds of insurance in this State, must participate in the Industry Placement Program in accordance with this Article and such a plan of operation as may be established by a Governing Committee of 6 insurers elected annually in a manner provided in a membership agreement to be executed by each participating insurer, 4 members who are not employees of or otherwise affiliated with the insurance industry appointed by the Director to represent the interest of insurance consumers, and one member who is an Illinois licensed insurance producer appointed by the Director, who shall serve for terms consistent with the terms served by their counterparts from the insurance industry.
(Source: P.A. 88-667, eff. 9-16-94.)

    (215 ILCS 5/525.1) (from Ch. 73, par. 1065.72-1)
    Sec. 525.1. Centralized Operations Authorized.) (1) The Industry Placement Facility is authorized, for FAIR Plan purposes only, to issue policies of insurance and endorsements thereto in its own name or a trade name duly adopted for that purpose, and to act on behalf of all participating insurers in connection with said policies and otherwise in any manner necessary to accomplish the purposes of this Article, including but not limited to collection of premiums, issuance of cancellations, and payment of commissions, losses, judgments and expenses.
    (2) The participating insurers shall be liable to the Facility as provided in this Article, the Program and any related Articles of Agreement for the expenses and liabilities so incurred by the Facility, and the Governing Committee shall make assessments against the participating insurers as required to meet such expenses and liabilities. In connection with any policy issued by the Facility: (a) the name and percentage participation of each participating insurer shall be made available to the insured upon request to the Facility; (b) service of any notice, proof of loss, legal process or other communication with respect to the policy may and shall be made upon the Facility; and (c) any action by the insured constituting a claim under the policy shall be brought only against the Facility, and the Facility shall be the proper party for all purposes in any action brought under or in connection with any such policy. The foregoing requirements shall be set forth in any policy issued by the Facility and the form and content of any such policy shall be subject to the approval of the Director of Insurance.
    (3) The Facility is authorized to assume and cede reinsurance in conformity with the Program.
    (4) (a) Each insurer must participate in the writings, expenses, profits and losses of the Facility in the proportion that its premiums written, with respect to each fund, bear to the aggregate premiums written by all insurers, with respect to each said fund, excluding that portion of the premiums written attributable to the operation of the Facility except as otherwise provided in this Section.
    (b) The Director of Insurance shall by rule establish procedures for determining the net level of participation required of each insurer, which shall include the following elements:
    (i) The designation of one or more contiguous ZIP CODE areas within this State wherein the insurers writing new policies upon risks which they do not insure prior to the effective date of this amendatory Act may receive credit against their obligation for FAIR Plan risks;
    (ii) The minimum level of participation required of all insurers regardless of the amount of credit allowed but which in no case shall be less than 50% of that level of participation that would be required as defined in paragraph (a) above;
    (iii) A designation of the type of risks for which credit may be allowed, provided that credit shall not apply to commercial risks where the annual premium for the policy exceeds $2,000 for each fixed location;
    (iv) The maximum level of participation required of all insurers regardless of the amount of credit allowed.
    (c) The procedures for determining levels of participation and all designations, formulas, minima and maxima required by this Section shall be reasonably designed to effect the intent of this Article without exempting any insurer from the participation requirement.
    (5) Voting on administrative questions of the Facility shall be weighted in accordance with each insurers' premium written during the second preceding calendar year as disclosed in the reports filed by the insurer with the Director.
    (6) The Facility may on its own initiative or at the request of the Director, amend its rules or Program, subject to approval by the Director.
(Source: P.A. 81-1426.)

    (215 ILCS 5/525.2) (from Ch. 73, par. 1065.72-2)
    Sec. 525.2. Premium financing.
    In the event the Industry Placement Facility accepts premium payments from licensed premium financing companies and whenever a financed FAIR Plan insurance contract is cancelled in accordance with Section 521 of the Illinois Insurance Code, the insurer or Industry Placement Facility shall return whatever gross unearned premium is due under the insurance contract to the premium finance company effecting the cancellation for the account of the insured or insureds less the proportionate amount of the commissions paid by it to the producers of such FAIR Plan risk, prorated as to the unearned portion of the premium, which amount such producers shall return to the premium finance company. In the event of cancellation as set forth above the Industry Placement Facility may deduct and retain from the return premium a reasonable amount as a service charge.
(Source: P.A. 77-1561.)

    (215 ILCS 5/525.3) (from Ch. 73, par. 1065.72-3)
    Sec. 525.3. Approval of Rates. In the event that the Industry Placement Facility proposes to issue policies of insurance or endorsements thereto pursuant to subsection (1) of Section 525.1, the Facility shall file for approval with the Director the proposed rates and supplemental rate information to be used in connection with the issuance of such policies or endorsements. Within 60 days of the filing of the proposed rates, the Director shall enter an order either approving or disapproving, in whole or in part, the rate plan filed. The Director may, upon notice to the Industry Placement Facility, extend the period for entering an order under this Section an additional 30 days. No such policies or endorsements shall be issued until such time as the Director approves the rates to be applied to the policy or endorsement. An order disapproving a rate shall state the grounds for the disapproval and the findings in support thereof.
(Source: P.A. 81-1426.)

    (215 ILCS 5/525.4) (from Ch. 73, par. 1965.72-4)
    Sec. 525.4. Application for Coverage of Risks by the Facility. (1) In the event that the Industry Placement Facility proposes to issue policies of insurance or endorsements thereto pursuant to subsection (1) of Section 525.1, the Facility shall require a written application for such policies or endorsements. All applications shall be incorporated into the policy or endorsement for which application was made.
    (2) Applications for coverage of risks on property which is held in a land trust, except applications for policies described in subsection (b) of Section 143.13, shall disclose all beneficial interests in the property in accordance with "An Act to require disclosure, under certification of perjury, of all beneficial interests in real property held in a land trust, in certain cases", approved September 21, 1973, as amended. Changes, which result in an aggregate of 25%, in beneficial interest in the property subsequent to the verification made in the application shall be reported by the applicant or policy holder to the Facility no later than 10 days after the change in beneficial interest occurs. This shall not apply to transfer of beneficial interest to members of the immediate family including spouse, children and grandchildren and their spouses, parents, sisters and brothers. Changes in beneficial interest which result in an aggregate of less than 25% shall be reported at the time of renewal of the policy. Disclosure of the beneficial interests in such property is deemed material to the application for new coverage or the continuation of existing coverage and failure to disclose all beneficial interests, including any changes therein, renders the contract of insurance voidable at the option of the Facility. Upon being notified of any change in beneficial interest, the Facility shall reevaluate its risk of loss as if the risk were a new application for coverage. When a policy subject to this Section is issued or applied for, the Facility shall give written notice as to the requirements of this Section to the named insured or applicant and all beneficiaries disclosed in the application.
    (3) Applications for policies or endorsements covering real property, except applications for policies described in subsection (b) of Section 143.13, shall include the following information:
    (a) name and address of the applicant;
    (b) name and address of all parties with any financial interest in the property to be insured and the nature and extent of such interest, including mortgages;
    (c) all purchases and sales of the property to be insured during the last five years, including all parties involved in such transactions, with their names and addresses;
    (d) the value the insured claims for the insurable interest and the method utilized to derive that value;
    (e) all income from the property to be insured during the current year and the last calendar and tax years, if known;
    (f) occupancy and use during the preceding two years, including percentage of occupancy if a nonowner occupied dwelling, if known;
    (g) prior loss history of the applicant and the property to be insured;
    (h) all tax liens and other legal encumbrances affecting the property to be insured; and
    (i) all violations of building construction and maintenance ordinances concerning the property to be insured which have been cited in a legal notice from an ordinance enforcement authority and which violations have not been certified as remedied by the enforcement authority, and for which an enforcement action is pending.
    (4) Within 60 days of receipt of an application submitted pursuant to subsection (3), the Facility shall conduct an on-site inspection of the property to be insured so as to determine the nature of the risk presented and the availability of coverage by the Facility. Any policy or endorsement issued on an application submitted pursuant to subsection (3) may be cancelled by the Facility within 60 days of the issuance thereof.
(Source: P.A. 81-1426.)

    (215 ILCS 5/527) (from Ch. 73, par. 1065.74)
    Sec. 527. Right to appeal. (1) Any applicant or affected insurer has the right of appeal to the Governing Committee. A decision of the Committee may be appealed to the Director within 30 days after such decision.
    (2) All orders or decisions of the Director made pursuant to this Article are subject to judicial review in accordance with the Administrative Review Law.
(Source: P.A. 82-783.)

    (215 ILCS 5/528) (from Ch. 73, par. 1065.75)
    Sec. 528. Inspection reports.
    There is no liability on the part of, and no cause of action against insurers, the Inspection Bureau, the Facility, the Association, the Governing Committee, their agents or employees, or the Director or his authorized representatives, with respect to any inspections required to be undertaken by this Article or for any acts or omissions in connection therewith, or for any statements made in any report and communication concerning the insurability of the property, or in the findings required by the provisions of this Article, or at the hearings conducted in connection with such inspections. The reports and communications of the Inspection Bureau, the Facility, the Association, and the records of the Governing Committee are not considered public documents.
(Source: Laws 1968, p. 15.)

    (215 ILCS 5/529) (from Ch. 73, par. 1065.76)
    Sec. 529. Illinois Insurance Development Fund.
    (a) A trust fund is created to be known as the "Illinois Insurance Development Fund" to be administered by the State Treasurer as a special trust fund. The purpose is to provide financial back-up for the Facility and the Association in order to enable companies to qualify for riot and civil disorder reinsurance under the National Insurance Development Corporation Act of 1968 or any other act of the United States which will similarly provide reinsurance or financial back-up to accomplish the purpose of this Article.
    (b) The Fund shall consist of all payments made to the Fund by companies in accordance with the provisions of this Article, any securities acquired by and through use of monies belonging to the Fund, any monies appropriated to the Fund, and any interest and accretions earned on assets of the Fund. The State Treasurer shall have the same power to enforce the collection of the assessments provided hereunder as any other obligation due the State.
(Source: P.A. 76-714.)

    (215 ILCS 5/529.1) (from Ch. 73, par. 1065.76-1)
    Sec. 529.1. Reimbursement of the Secretary.
    The Fund shall reimburse the Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (hereinafter referred to as "the Secretary") under the provisions of Section 1223(a) (1) of the Urban Property Protection and Reinsurance Act of 1968 (hereinafter referred to as "the Act") for losses reinsured by the Secretary and occurring in this State on or after August 1, 1968, provided that the total amount of reimbursement in any one year shall not, in the aggregate, exceed 5% of the aggregate property insurance premiums earned in this State during the preceding calendar year on those lines of insurance reinsured by the Secretary in this State during the calendar year.
(Source: P.A. 76-714.)

    (215 ILCS 5/529.2) (from Ch. 73, par. 1065.76-2)
    Sec. 529.2. Making of Assessments.
    Whenever the Secretary shall, in accordance with the Act, present to the State a request for reimbursement under the Act, the Fund shall immediately assess all companies which, during the calendar year with respect to which reimbursement is requested by the Secretary, are engaged in writing property insurance in this State. The amount of each such company's assessment shall be calculated by multiplying the amount of the reimbursement requested by the Secretary by a fraction the numerator of which is the company's direct property insurance premiums earned in this State and the denominator of which is the aggregate of such premiums for all companies. Within 30 days following the end of each full calendar quarter, each company shall pay to the Fund an amount equal to one-twelfth of the company's assessment.
(Source: P.A. 76-714.)

    (215 ILCS 5/529.3) (from Ch. 73, par. 1065.76-3)
    Sec. 529.3. Insolvency. In the event any company fails, by reason of insolvency, to pay any assessment, the Fund shall cause the reimbursement ratios, computed under Section 529.2, to be immediately recalculated, excluding therefrom the amount of the insolvent company's assessment determined by the Director of Insurance to be uncollectible, so that such uncollectible amount is, in effect, assumed and redistributed among the remaining companies.
(Source: P.A. 81-1509.)

    (215 ILCS 5/529.4) (from Ch. 73, par. 1065.76-4)
    Sec. 529.4.
    Whenever the fund shall assess insurers in accordance with this Section, each insurer may charge an additional premium on every property insurance policy issued by it insuring property in this state, the effective date of which policy is within the 3 year period commencing 90 days after the date of assessment by the Fund. The amount of the additional premium shall be calculated on the basis of a uniform percentage of the premium on such policies equal to 1/3 of the ratio of the amount of an insurer's assessment to the amount of its direct earned premiums for the calendar year immediately preceding the year in which the assessment is made, such that over the period of 3 years the aggregate of all such additional premium charges by an insurer shall be equal to the amount of the assessment of such insurer. The minimum additional premium charged on a policy may be $1.00 and any other additional premium charged may be rounded to the nearest dollar.
(Source: P.A. 76-714.)

    (215 ILCS 5/529.5) (from Ch. 73, par. 1065.76-5)
    Sec. 529.5. The Industry Placement Facility shall compile an annual operating report, and publish such report in at least 2 newspapers having widespread circulation in the State, which report shall include:
    (1) a description of the origin and purpose of the Illinois Fair Plan and its relationship to the property and casualty insurance industry in Illinois;
    (2) a financial statement specifying the amount of profit or loss incurred by the Facility for its financial year; and
    (3) a disclosure as to the amount of subsidization per type of policy written by the Facility, which is provided by the property and casualty insurance companies operating in Illinois, if any.
    This annual report shall be a matter of public record to be made available to any person requesting a copy from the Facility at a fee not to exceed $10 per copy. A copy shall be available for inspection at the Department of Insurance.
(Source: P.A. 93-32, eff. 7-1-03.)

    (215 ILCS 5/530) (from Ch. 73, par. 1065.77)
    Sec. 530. Powers of the Director.) In addition to any powers conferred upon him by this or any other law, the Director is charged with the authority to supervise the Inspection Bureau, the Facility and the Association. In addition the Director or any person designated by him has the power:
    (1) to examine the operation of the Facility and Association through free access to all the books, records, files, papers and documents relating to their operation and may summon, qualify and examine as witnesses all persons having knowledge of such operations including officers, agents or employees thereof;
    (2) to do all things necessary to enable the State of Illinois and any insurer participating in any Program approved by the Director to fully participate in any federal program of reinsurance which may be enacted for purposes similar to the purposes of this Article;
    (3) to require such reports from insurers concerning risks insured under any Program approved pursuant to this Article as he may deem necessary;
    (4) to approve a homeowners policy form(s) for the Industry Placement Program.
    (5) To require the Insurance Placement Program to develop marketing programs which will deter urban redlining and other unfairly discriminatory geographic underwriting programs by making readily available basic property insurance.
    (6) to permit modification of the Standard Fire Policy issued by the facility for non owner-occupied residences exceeding four units, after the director has conducted a public hearing which establishes that such modifications:
    1) will provide for equitable settlements of loss;
    2) will discourage arson for profit; and
    3) will encourage neighborhood revitalization, while maintaining the interests of the insured and the facility. The Director shall confer with the facility to establish criteria by which it can be determined whether such modification of the Standard Fire Policy is accomplishing its objectives. The Director shall conduct, within two years of any modification of the Standard Fire Policy, a public hearing to determine whether such modification has accomplished the three preceding objectives. In the event that such public hearing does not establish that such objectives are being accomplished, then the Director shall rescind the modification of the Standard Fire Policy, or further modify such policy to accomplish the objectives.
(Source: P.A. 82-499.)

    (215 ILCS 5/530a) (from Ch. 73, par. 1065.77a)
    Sec. 530a. The Director of Insurance shall form a task force to review the policy forms and endorsements issued by the Industry Placement Facility on residential property of 5 or more dwelling units. The task force shall consider the coverage, perils and settlement provisions and make their recommendations to the Director by January 15, 1981, on proposed policy forms and endorsements which will provide for equitable settlement of loss, discourage arson for profit and encourage neighborhood revitalization. Any recommendation of the task force shall consider the impact on the continuous goal of depopulation of the Facility.
    The Task force shall be comprised of members of the insurance industry, general public and 4 members of the General Assembly, 2 to be appointed by the President of the Senate and 2 by the Speaker of the House with equal representation from the majority and minority parties.
    The Director shall hold public hearings on the task force recommendations and promulgate a rule to adopt such policy forms and endorsements as minimum standards for the Industry Placement Facility.
(Source: P.A. 81-1432.)