Section 26.1-06.1-17 - Liquidation orders1. An order to liquidate the business of a domestic insurer must appoint the commissioner and successor commissioners in office as liquidator and must direct the liquidator forthwith to take possession of the assets of the insurer and to administer them under the general supervision of the court. The liquidator must be vested by operation of law with the title to all of the property, contracts, and rights of action, and all of the books and records of the insurer, wherever located, as of the entry of the final order of liquidation. The filing or recording of the order with the recorder, unless the board of county commissioners designates a different official, of the county in which its principal office or place of business is located or, in the case of real estate, with the recorder of the county where the property is located, imparts the same notice as a deed, bill of sale, or other evidence of title duly filed or recorded with that recorder or designated official.2. Upon issuance of the order, the rights and liabilities of any such insurer and of its creditors, policyholders, shareholders, members, and all other persons interested in its estate become fixed as of the date of entry of the order of liquidation, except as provided in sections 26.1-06.1-18 and 26.1-06.1-36.3. An order to liquidate the business of an alien insurer domiciled in this state must be in the same terms and have the same legal effect as an order to liquidate a domestic insurer, except that the assets and the business in the United States must be the only assets and business included therein.4. At the time of petitioning for an order of liquidation, or at any time thereafter, the commissioner, after making appropriate findings of an insurer's insolvency, may petition the court for a judicial declaration of such insolvency. After providing such notice and hearing as it deems proper, the court may make the declaration.5. Any order issued under this section must require financial reports to the court by the liquidator. Financial reports must include the assets and liabilities of the insurer and all funds received or disbursed by the liquidator during the current period. Financial reports must be filed within one year of the liquidation order and at least annually thereafter.6.a. Within five days of July 7, 1991, or, if later, within five days after the initiation of an appeal of an order of liquidation, which order has not been stayed, the commissioner shall present for the court's approval a plan for the continued performance of the defendant company's policy claims obligations, including the duty to defend insureds under liability insurance policies, during the pendency of an appeal. Such plan must provide for the continued performance and payment of policy claims obligations in the normal course of events, notwithstanding the grounds alleged in support of the order of liquidation, including the ground of insolvency. In the event the defendant company's financial condition will not, in the judgment of the commissioner, support the full performance of all policy claims obligations during the appeal pendency period, the plan may prefer the claims of certain policyholders and claimants over creditors and interested parties as well as other policyholders and claimants, as the commissioner finds to be fair and equitable considering the relative circumstances of such policyholders and claimants. The court shall examine the plan submitted by the commissioner and if it finds the plan to be in the best interests of the parties, the court shall approve the plan. No action may lie against the commissioner, or any deputies, agents, clerks, assistants, or attorneys employed or appointed by the commissioner by any party based on preference in an appeal pendency plan approved by the court.b. The appeal pendency plan does not supersede or affect the obligations of any insurance guaranty association.c. Any such plans must provide for equitable adjustments to be made by the liquidator to any distributions of assets to guaranty associations, in the event that the liquidator pays claims from assets of the estate, which would otherwise be the obligations of any particular guaranty association but for the appeal of the order of liquidation, such that all guaranty associations equally benefit on a pro rata basis from the assets of the estate. Further, in the event an order of liquidation is set aside upon any appeal, the company may not be released from delinquency proceedings unless and until all funds advanced by any guaranty association, including reasonable administrative expenses in connection therewith relating to obligations of the company, are repaid in full, together with interest at the judgment rate of interest or unless an arrangement for repayment thereof has been made with the consent of all applicable guaranty associations.