Shares of Kingsway Financial Services plummeted 41 per cent on November 17 after authorities in Pennsylvania said they would attempt to unwind a donation made as part of the troubled insurance company's restructuring.

Kingsway donated all of its holdings in Walshire General Assurance - sole shareholder of Lincoln General Insurance - to a number of charities last month, removing Lincoln General from Kingsway's stable of companies.

But the Pennsylvania Department of Insurance announced it planned to pursue legal action to unwind the donations because it did not approve the October 19 deal. The department contends the change in control without approval violates Pennsylvania law.

Kingsway says the donations were lawfully made and that the department has no legal basis for demanding they be reversed.

Last month, Kingsway, which has endured several quarters of poor financial results as well as a revolt by dissident shareholders, said the divestiture of Walshire would help it meet regulatory and contractual obligations, including servicing a $10-million surplus note facility agreement.

Kingsway, headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, deals principally in non-standard insurance for individual and businesses in Canada and the United States.

During heavy trading on November 17, the stock was down $1.21 to $1.73 with more than six million shares traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange.