§431:9-230 Reporting and accounting for premiums. (a) Every licensed adjuster shall have the responsibilities of a trustee for all premium and return premium funds received or collected under this article.
(b) The licensee, upon receipt of the funds, shall either:
(1) Remit the premiums (less commissions) and return premiums received or held by the licensee to the insurers or the persons entitled to such funds; or
(2) Maintain the funds at all times in a federally insured account with a bank, savings and loan association, or financial services loan company situated in Hawaii, separate from the licensee's own funds or funds held by the licensee in any other capacity, in an amount at least equal to the premiums (net of commissions) and return premiums received by such licensee and unpaid to the insurers or persons entitled to such funds. Return premiums shall be returned within thirty days, unless directed otherwise in writing by the person entitled to the funds.
The licensee shall not be required to maintain a separate bank account or other account for the funds of each insurer or person entitled to such funds, if and so long as the funds held for the insurer or person entitled to such funds are reasonably ascertainable from the books of account and records of the licensee. Only such additional funds as may be reasonably necessary to pay bank, savings and loan association, or financial services loan company charges may be commingled with the premium funds. In the event the bank, savings and loan association, or financial services loan company account is an interest earning account, such licensee may not retain the interest earned on such funds to the licensee's own use or benefit without the prior written consent of the insurers or person entitled to such funds. A premium trustee account shall be designated on the records of the bank, savings and loan association, or financial services loan company as a "trustee account established pursuant to section 431:9-230, Hawaii Revised Statutes", or words of similar import.
(c) Any such licensee who, not being lawfully entitled to such funds, diverts or appropriates such funds or any portion of them to the licensee's own use, shall be guilty of embezzlement, and shall be punished as provided in the criminal statutes of this State. [L 1987, c 347, pt of §2; am L 1993, c 107, §3; am L 1995, c 232, §15; am L 2001, c 216, §15]