Section 12840 Of Part 8. Service Contracts From California Insurance Code >> Division 2. >> Part 8.
12840
. (a) Every obligor or its administrator shall maintain at its
principal office complete and accurate accounts, books, and records
of all transactions among the obligor, its administrator, if any,
sellers, insurers, and purchasers. Records maintained pursuant to
this section shall be made available to the commissioner upon
reasonable request. Any computerized recordkeeping system must be
capable of producing a legible hard copy of all required records.
Accounts, books, and records shall include:
(1) A complete set of accounting records, including, but not
limited to, a general ledger, cash receipts and disbursements
journals, accounts receivable registers, and accounts payable
registers.
(2) Copies of each type of service contract sold.
(3) The name and address of each service contract purchaser to the
extent that the name and address have been furnished by the service
contract purchaser.
(4) A list of the locations where service contracts are marketed,
sold, or offered for sale.
(5) Written claims files which shall contain at least the dates
and descriptions of claims related to the service contracts.
(b) All required records pertaining to a service contract shall be
maintained by the obligor, its administrator, or the insurer
underwriting the contract, for at least three years after the
expiration of the contract.
(c) Every insurer that has issued a policy to an obligor shall
have an ongoing right to access that obligor's books and records in
order to permit the insurer to fulfill all obligations to purchasers.
(d) The commissioner may examine and investigate the affairs of
every obligor and any administrator of an obligor. Any examination or
investigation shall be at the expense of the obligor or the
administrator, in the discretion of the commissioner. Any information
contained in the books and records, including, but not limited to,
the identity and addresses of sellers and purchasers of service
contracts, shall be confidential, except that the commissioner may
use the information in any proceeding or investigation instituted
against an obligor or an administrator.
(e) An obligor's failure to keep or maintain the required
accounts, books, or records, or to provide the commissioner with full
and immediate access to those records, shall be grounds for the
immediate suspension or revocation of the obligor's vehicle service
contract provider's license, and also shall be grounds for the
commissioner to issue a cease and desist order pursuant to Section
1065.2.