(a) Whenever the court proceeds upon a petition under Section 2287, it shall order payment out of the fund only upon a determination that the aggrieved party has a valid cause of action within the purview of Section 2282, and has complied with Section 2287.
(b) (1) The Secretary of State may defend any action on behalf of the fund and shall have recourse to all appropriate means of defense and review, including examination of witnesses and the right to relitigate any issues that are material and relevant in the proceeding against the fund. The claimant’s judgment shall create a rebuttable presumption of the fraud, misrepresentation, or deceit by the corporation, which presumption shall affect the burden of producing evidence.
(2) If the civil judgment, arbitration award, or criminal restitution order in the underlying action on which the final judgment in favor of the petitioner was by default, stipulation, consent, or pursuant to Section 594 of the Code of Civil Procedure, or if the action against the corporation or its agent was defended by a trustee in bankruptcy, the petitioner shall have the burden of proving that the cause of action against the corporation or its agent was for fraud, misrepresentation, or deceit.
(c) If the final judgment is a criminal restitution order against an agent, the petitioner shall have the burden of proving that the defendant named in the criminal restitution order qualifies as an agent as defined in this chapter. An active corporation, that has submitted a response to the application pursuant to Section 2282.2, may be permitted by the court to appear in the action regarding the sole issue of whether the defendant named in the criminal restitution order qualifies as its agent as defined in this chapter.
(d) The Secretary of State may move the court at any time to dismiss the petition when it appears there are no triable issues and the petition is without merit. The motion may be supported by affidavit of any person or persons having knowledge of the facts, and may be made on the basis that the petition, and the judgment referred to therein, does not form the basis for a meritorious recovery claim within the purview of Section 2282; provided, however, the Secretary of State shall give written notice at least 10 calendar days before hearing on the motion to the claimant.
(Amended by Stats. 2016, Ch. 390, Sec. 5. (AB 2759) Effective January 1, 2017.)