WASHINGTON STATUTES AND CODES

48.13.160 - Real property owned -- Home office building.

Real property owned — Home office building.

(1) An insurer may own and invest or have invested in its home office and branch office buildings any of its funds in aggregate amount not to exceed ten percent of its assets unless approved by the commissioner, or if a mutual or reciprocal insurer not to exceed ten percent of its assets nor such amount as would reduce its surplus, exclusive of such investment, below fifty thousand dollars unless approved by the commissioner.

     (2) An insurer may own real property acquired in satisfaction or on account of loans, mortgages, liens, judgments, or other debts previously owing to the insurer in the course of its business.

     (3) An insurer may invest or have invested in aggregate amount not exceeding three percent of its assets in the following real property, and in the repair, alteration, furnishing, or improvement thereof:

     (a) Real property requisite for its accommodation in the convenient transaction of its business if approved by the commissioner.

     (b) Real property acquired by gift or devise.

     (c) Real property acquired in exchange for real property owned by it. If necessary in order to consummate such an exchange, the insurer may put up cash in amount not to exceed twenty percent of the fair value of its real property to be so exchanged, in addition to such property.

     (d) Real property acquired through a lawful merger or consolidation with it of another insurer and not required for the purposes specified in subsection (1) and in paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of this section.

     (e) Upon approval of the commissioner, in real property and equipment incident to real property, requisite or desirable for the protection or enhancement of the value of other real property owned by the insurer.

     (4) A domestic life insurer with assets of at least twenty-five million dollars and at least ten million dollars in capital and surplus, and a domestic property and casualty insurer with assets of at least seventy-five million dollars and at least thirty million dollars in capital and surplus, or, if a mutual or reciprocal property or casualty insurer, at least thirty million dollars in surplus, may, in addition to the real property included in subsections (1), (2) and (3) of this section, own such real property other than property to be used for ranch, mining, recreational, amusement, or club purposes, as may be acquired as an investment for the production of income, or as may be acquired to be improved or developed for such investment purpose pursuant to an existing program therefor, subject to the following limitations and conditions:

     (a) The cost of each parcel of real property so acquired under this subsection (4), including the estimated cost to the insurer of the improvement or development thereof, when added to the book value of all other real property under this subsection (4), together with the admitted value of all common stock, then held by it, shall not exceed twenty percent of its admitted assets or fifty percent of its surplus over the minimum required surplus, whichever is greater, as of the thirty-first day of December next preceding; and

     (b) The cost of each parcel of real property so acquired, including the estimated cost to the insurer of the improvement or development thereof, shall not exceed as of the thirty-first day of December next preceding, four percent of its admitted assets.

     (c) Indirect or proportionate interests in real estate held by a domestic life insurer through any subsidiary shall be included in proportion to such insurer's interest in the subsidiary in applying the limits provided in subsection (4).