Article 4. Meetings And Assessments of California Insurance Code >> Division 2. >> Part 1. >> Chapter 8. >> Article 4.

In July of every year, there shall be held a meeting of every corporation created for the purpose specified in this chapter.

Ten days' notice of the meeting shall be inserted in at least one daily newspaper published in the municipality in which the corporation is established.

At such meeting each insurer or insurance agent, doing a fire insurance business in the municipality, whether a member of the corporation or not, has a right to be represented and is entitled to one vote.

A majority of the whole number so represented may decide the question of sustaining the fire patrol organized by the corporation and may fix the maximum amount of expenses to be incurred therefor during the ensuing fiscal year.

The amount of expense so fixed shall not exceed two per cent of the aggregate premiums returned as received, as provided in section 10076. The whole of such amount, or so much thereof as is necessary, may be assessed upon all insurers or insurance agents who assume risks or accept premiums for fire insurance in said municipality. Such assessment shall be made in proportion to the several amounts of premiums returned as received by each in the statement required by section 10076.

Such assessment is collectible by and in the name of the corporation, in any court of competent jurisdiction, in such manner and at such time or times as the corporation determines.

In order to pay persons employed by the corporation, and to maintain apparatus for saving life and property and suitable quarters the corporation may require a statement to be furnished, semiannually, by all persons mentioned in section 10074, setting forth the aggregate amount of premiums received for insuring property in the municipality during the six months next preceding July first and January first, respectively, of each year.

Each statement shall be under oath and shall be handed to the secretary of the corporation within ten days after each first day of July and each first day of January. A statement covering the receipts of a natural person shall be sworn to by the person whose receipts it covers. Otherwise the statement shall be sworn to by the president, secretary or agent of the person whose receipts it covers.

The secretary of such corporation shall, within the prescribed ten days, by written demand signed by him, require the statement from every person assessable under this chapter.

The demand may be delivered personally at the office of every person required to furnish the statement. Every such person, or officer thereof, who, for fifteen days after said demand, neglects to render the statement forfeits fifty dollars for the use of the corporation, and also forfeits for its use twenty-five dollars in addition for every day such neglect is continued after the expiration of the fifteen days. Such additional penalty may be computed and collected up to the time of the trial of any action brought for its recovery.

The corporation may bring action to recover such penalty, with costs, in any court of competent jurisdiction.