CHAPTER 2. ANNUITY STRUCTURED SETTLEMENTS
IC 34-50-2
Chapter 2. Annuity Structured Settlements
IC 34-50-2-1
"Interested party" defined
Sec. 1. As used in this chapter, "interested party" refers to:
(1) the payee;
(2) the annuity issuer;
(3) the structured settlement agreement obligor;
(4) the payee's counsel who assisted in the establishment of the
structured settlement;
(5) a dependent of the payee; or
(6) a family member or relative who is acting as a caregiver for
the payee.
As added by P.L.219-2001, SEC.6.
IC 34-50-2-2
"Structured settlement" defined
Sec. 2. As used in this chapter, "structured settlement" means
periodic payments of damages established by a settlement or a court
judgment in resolution of a tort claim for personal injury.
As added by P.L.219-2001, SEC.6.
IC 34-50-2-3
"Transfer" defined
Sec. 3. As used in this chapter, "transfer" means a:
(1) sale;
(2) assignment;
(3) pledge;
(4) hypothecation; or
(5) any other form of alienation or encumbrance;
of structured settlement payment rights made by a payee for
consideration.
As added by P.L.219-2001, SEC.6.
IC 34-50-2-4
"Transferee" defined
Sec. 4. As used in this chapter, "transferee" means a party
acquiring or proposing to acquire structured settlement payment
rights through a transfer agreement.
As added by P.L.219-2001, SEC.6.
IC 34-50-2-5
Court approval of transfers required
Sec. 5. A direct or indirect transfer of structured settlement
payment rights is not effective, and a structured settlement obligor or
annuity issuer is not required to make a payment directly or
indirectly to a transferee, unless an Indiana court of competent
jurisdiction has approved the transfer in a final order in accordance
with sections 7 and 8 of this chapter.
As added by P.L.219-2001, SEC.6.
IC 34-50-2-6
Disclosure statements
Sec. 6. Not less than ten (10) days before the date on which a
payee becomes obligated under a transfer agreement, the transferee
shall provide to the payee and other interested parties a disclosure
statement, in boldface type of not less than fourteen (14) points in
size, that includes the following:
(1) The amounts and due dates of the structured settlement
payments to be transferred under the transfer agreement.
(2) The aggregate amount of the payments disclosed under
subdivision (1).
(3) An estimate of the present fair market value of the future
periodic payments under the structured settlement agreement.
(4) The gross amount payable to the payee as consideration for
the transfer of the structured settlement payments disclosed
under subdivision (1).
(5) An itemized list of all:
(A) commissions;
(B) fees;
(C) costs;
(D) expenses; and
(E) charges;
payable by the payee or deductible from the gross amount
payable to the payee, as disclosed under subdivision (4).
(6) The net amount payable to the payee after any deduction is
made from the gross amount payable to the payee, as described
in subdivision (5).
(7) The quotient, expressed as a percentage, obtained by
dividing the net amount payable to the payee, as disclosed
under subdivision (6), by the estimate of the present fair market
value of the future periodic payments, as disclosed under
subdivision (3).
(8) The amount of any penalty and the aggregate amount of any
liquidated damages, including penalties, payable by the payee
in the event of a breach of the transfer agreement by the payee.
As added by P.L.219-2001, SEC.6.
IC 34-50-2-7
Final orders; findings
Sec. 7. An Indiana court of competent jurisdiction may approve
a transfer of structured settlement payment rights only in a final
order that is based on the express findings of the court. The express
findings must include all of the following:
(1) The consideration that the payee will receive for the transfer
reasonably reflects the present fair market value of the future
periodic payments under the structured settlement agreement.
(2) The transfer is in the best interest of the payee.
(3) The transfer will not materially impair the payee's ability to
discharge the payee's obligations to the payee's dependents.
(4) If the transferee is the applicant, the transferee has provided
to the payee a disclosure statement in accordance with section
6 of this chapter.
As added by P.L.219-2001, SEC.6.
IC 34-50-2-8
Applications for approval of transfers
Sec. 8. (a) An application under this chapter for approval of a
transfer of structured settlement payment rights must be filed in:
(1) the Indiana court in which the underlying tort action was
pending; or
(2) the court of general jurisdiction in the Indiana county in
which the payee resides.
(b) The following apply to an application filed under subsection
(a):
(1) Upon filing of the application, the court shall set a date and
time for a hearing on the application not earlier than twenty (20)
days after the application is filed and shall notify the applicant
of the date, time, and place of the hearing. The court shall give
precedence to a hearing set under this section in accordance
with Indiana Trial Rule 40.
(2) The applicant shall file with the court and shall serve on:
(A) all interested parties;
(B) the annuity issuer; and
(C) the structured settlement obligor;
in the manner prescribed in the rules of civil procedure for the
service of process, a notice of the proposed transfer.
(3) The notice required under subdivision (2) shall include:
(A) a copy of the application;
(B) a copy of the proposed transfer agreement, including the
transferee's:
(i) name;
(ii) address; and
(iii) taxpayer identification number;
(C) a copy of the disclosure statement provided by the
transferee under section 6 of this chapter whenever the
application is filed by a person other than the payee;
(D) notification of the date, time, and place of the hearing on
the application; and
(E) notification that an interested party may support, oppose,
or otherwise respond to the application, either in person or
by counsel, by:
(i) submitting to the court a written response containing
the interested party's support of, opposition to, or
comments on the application; or
(ii) participating in the hearing.
(4) At the conclusion of the hearing on an application filed
under subsection (a), the court may enter an order:
(A) granting approval with or without modification; or
(B) denying approval;
of the transfer. If the court grants approval of the transfer, the
court shall include in the order all of the express findings
required under section 7 of this chapter. If the court denies the
approval of the transfer, the court shall include in the order the
reasons for the denial.
(5) An order of the court made under subdivision (4) is a final
and appealable order.
As added by P.L.219-2001, SEC.6.
IC 34-50-2-9
Effect of disapproval of transfers; waiver prohibited; unlawful
transfers
Sec. 9. (a) A payee who proposes to make a transfer of structured
settlement payment rights does not:
(1) incur a penalty;
(2) forfeit an application fee or other payment; or
(3) otherwise incur a liability to the proposed transferee;
if the transfer is not approved by a court under section 7 of this
chapter.
(b) A provision of this chapter may not be waived.
(c) This chapter does not:
(1) authorize a transfer of structured settlement payment rights
in contravention of applicable law; or
(2) give effect to a transfer of structured settlement payment
rights that is void under applicable law.
As added by P.L.219-2001, SEC.6.
IC 34-50-2-10
Immunity
Sec. 10. After a transfer that has been approved in accordance
with this chapter, a structured settlement obligor and an annuity
issuer are immune from liability to a payee, or to a party other than
a transferee who is claiming through the payee, for paying structured
settlement payments to a transferee.
As added by P.L.219-2001, SEC.6.
IC 34-50-2-11
Failure to provide disclosure statement as incurable deceptive act
Sec. 11. Failure of a transferee of structured settlement payment
rights to timely provide a true and complete disclosure statement to
a payee under this chapter in connection with a direct or indirect
transfer of structured settlement payment rights is an incurable
deceptive act under IC 24-5-0.5.
As added by P.L.219-2001, SEC.6.