N.J. Stat. § 17:17-1

Current through L. 2024, c. 87.

Section 17:17-1 - Kinds of insurance

Ten or more persons may form a corporation for the purpose of making of any kinds of insurance, as follows:

a. Against direct or indirect loss or damage to property, including loss of use or occupancy by fire, smoke; smudge; lightning; tempest on land, including windstorm, tornado and cyclone; earthquake; collapse of buildings; hail; frost or snow; weather or climatic conditions, including excess or deficiency of moisture, flood, rain or drought, rising of the waters of the ocean or its tributaries; bombardment; invasion; insurrection; riot; civil war or commotion; military or usurped power; vandalism or malicious mischief; striking employees; explosion, whether fire ensues or not, except explosion of steam boilers and flywheels; and arising from the use of elevators, aircraft, automobiles or other vehicles; against loss or damage by insects or disease to farm crops or products and loss of rental value of land used in producing the crops or products.

b. Against any kinds of loss or damage to: Vessels, craft, aircraft, cars, automobiles and vehicles of every kind, including all kinds of automobile and aircraft insurance (excepting insurance against loss by reason of bodily injury to the person), as well as all goods, freights, cargoes, merchandise, effects, disbursements, profits, moneys, bullion, precious stones, securities, choses in action, evidence of debt, valuable papers, bottomry and respondentia interests, and all other kinds of property and interests therein, in respect to, appertaining to or in connection with any and all risks or perils of navigation, transit, or transportation, including war risks, on or under any seas or other waters, on land or in the air, or while being assembled, packed, crated, baled, compressed or similarly prepared for shipment or while awaiting the same or during any delays, storage, transshipment or reshipment incident thereto, including marine builder's risk and all personal property floater risks, and to person or to property in connection with or appertaining to a marine, inland marine, transit or transportation insurance, including liability for loss of or damage to either, arising out of or in connection with the construction, repair, operation, maintenance or use of the subject matter of the insurance (but not including life insurance or surety bonds) but, except as herein specified, not against loss by reason of bodily injury to the person.

c. Upon the lives or health of persons, and every insurance appertaining thereto, and to grant, purchase or dispose of annuities.

d. Against bodily injury or death by accident, and upon the health of persons, including a funeral benefit to an amount not exceeding $100 or against loss or damage to automobiles or motor vehicles, or to wagons or vehicles propelled by a horse or team of any description, resulting from collision with moving or stationary objects, against perils to property arising from the use of elevators, aircraft, automobiles or other motor vehicles, or against loss by legal liability for damage to persons or property (including, if the insured is a state or a political subdivision of a state or a municipal corporate instrumentality of one or more states, loss by voluntary payments made by the insured under circumstances where the insured would have legal liability if it were a private corporation) resulting from collision of automobiles, aircraft, or motor vehicles, or of wagons or vehicles propelled by a horse or team with moving or stationary objects.

e. Against loss or damage resulting from accident to or injury suffered by any person for which loss or damage the insured is liable, including, if the insured is a state or a political subdivision of a state or a municipal corporate instrumentality of one or more states, loss or damage resulting from accident to or injury suffered by any person for which loss or damage the insured would be liable if it were a private corporation.

f. Against damage to property of the insured or loss of life or damage to the person or property of others for which the insured is liable (including, if the insured is a state or a political subdivision of a state or a municipal corporate instrumentality of one or more states, loss of life or damage to the person or property of others for which the insured would be liable if it were a private corporation), caused by the explosion of steam boilers, pipes, engines, motors and machinery connected therewith or operated thereby.

g. Against loss from the defaults of persons in positions of trust, public or private, or against loss or damage on account of neglect or breaches of duty or obligations guaranteed by the insurer; and against loss by banks, bankers, brokers, financial or moneyed corporations or associations, of any bills of exchange, notes, checks, drafts, acceptances of drafts, bonds, securities, evidences of debt, deeds, mortgages, documents, gold or silver, bullion, currency, money, platinum and other precious metals, refined or unrefined and articles made therefrom, jewelry, watches, necklaces, bracelets, gems, precious and semiprecious stones, and also against loss resulting from damage, except by fire, to the insured's premises, furnishings, fixtures, equipment, safes and vaults therein caused by burglary, robbery, hold-up, theft or larceny, or attempt thereat. No such indemnity indemnifying against loss of any property as specified herein shall indemnify against the loss of any such property occurring while in the mail or in the custody or possession of a carrier for hire for the purpose of transportation, except for the purpose of transportation by an armored motor vehicle accompanied by one or more armed guards.

h. Against loss or damage on account of encumbrances upon or defects in titles to real property. Any company organized or operating under this paragraph shall have the right, in addition to its other powers, to make searches, abstracts, examine titles to real property and chattels, and procure and furnish information in relation thereto.

i. Against loss from bad debts, commonly known as credit insurance.

j. Against loss or damage by burglary, theft, larceny, robbery, forgery, fraud, vandalism or malicious mischief, or any one or more of such hazards; and against any and all kinds of loss or destruction of or damage to moneys, securities, currencies, scrip, coins, bullion, bonds, notes, drafts, acceptances of drafts, bills of exchange and other valuable papers or documents, except while in the custody or possession of and being transported by a carrier for hire or in the mail; and against loss or damage to automobiles and aircraft by burglary, larceny, or theft, vandalism or malicious mischief, confiscation or wrongful conversion, disposal or concealment, whether held under conditional sale contract or subject to chattel mortgages, or otherwise, or any one or more of such hazards.

k. Against loss of and damage to glass, including lettering and ornamentation thereon, and the frame in which the glass is set resulting from breakage of the insured glass.

l. Against loss or damage by water or other fluid to any goods or premises arising from the breaking or leakage of sprinklers, pumps, or other apparatus erected for extinguishing fires, or of other conduits or containers, or by water entering through leaks or openings in buildings, and of water pipes and against accidental injury to such sprinklers, pumps, conduits, containers, water pipes and other apparatus; including loss of use or occupancy of the property so damaged.

m. Upon the lives of horses, cattle and other livestock or against loss by theft of any such property or both.

n. Against loss or damage to property by smoke or smudge, or both.

o. Any specified kinds of insurance not included in any of the foregoing subsections and which are proper subjects of insurance.

Any company, which, by its charter, is authorized to make insurance against loss or damage to property caused by fire, lightning, or tempest on land, may, without amending its charter, be authorized by the Commissioner of Insurance to transact all of the kinds of insurance described in subsections a., b. and l. of this section, if it is possessed of the capital stock and surplus or cash premiums required by R.S. 17:17-6 and R.S. 17:17-7; and any company which, by its charter, is authorized to make insurance against loss or damage to private dwelling property and contents thereof under subsection a. of this section, may, without amending its charter, be permitted to transact all of the kinds of insurance described in subsections f., k. and l. of this section, limited, however, to extending fire or casualty insurance policies to provide such coverages on private dwellings and contents thereof, if it possesses the capital and surplus or cash premiums required by R.S. 17:17-6 and R.S. 17:17-7; or any company which, by its charter, is authorized to make any kinds of insurance described in subsections a. through o. of this section, inclusive, except subsection c. of this section, may, without amending its charter, if it is possessed of a capital stock of at least $3,500,000 and surplus of at least $2,750,000 or, if a mutual company, it is possessed of net cash assets (excess of allowable assets over all liabilities) of at least $6,250,000, be authorized by the Commissioner of Insurance to transact any other kind or kinds of insurance that may be proper subjects of insurance, except upon the lives of persons or the granting of annuities.

N.J.S. § 17:17-1

Amended 1938, c.289, s.1; 1947, c.312; 1948, c.243; 1953, c.108; 1954, c.53; repealed in part (see N.J.S. 17B:36-3a); 1993, c.234, s.1.