§ 4-7 — Additional investigation and examination authority

In addition to any authority allowed under this Act, the Director shall have the authority to conduct investigations and examinations as follows: (a) For purposes of initial licensing, license renewal, license suspension, license conditioning, license revocation or termination, or general or specific inquiry or investigation to determine compliance with this Act, the Commissioner shall have the authority to access, receive, and use any books, accounts, records, files, documents, information, or evidence including, but not limited to, the following: (1) criminal, civil, and administrative history information, including nonconviction data as specified in the Criminal Code of 2012; (2) personal history and experience information, including independent credit reports obtained from a consumer reporting agency described in Section 603(p) of the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act; and (3) any other documents, information, or evidence the Commissioner deems relevant to the inquiry or investigation regardless of the location, possession, control, or custody of the documents, information, or evidence. (b) For the purposes of investigating violations or complaints arising under this Act, or for the purposes of examination, the Commissioner may review, investigate, or examine any licensee, individual, or person subject to this Act, as often as necessary in order to carry out the purposes of this Act. The Commissioner may direct, subpoena, or order the attendance of and examine under oath all persons whose testimony may be required about the loans or the business or subject matter of any such examination or investigation, and may direct, subpoena, or order the person to produce books, accounts, records, files, and any other documents the Commissioner deems relevant to the inquiry. (c) Each licensee, individual, or person subject to this Act shall make available to the Commissioner upon request the books and records relating to the operations of such licensee, individual, or person subject to this Act. The Commissioner shall have access to such books and records and interview the officers, principals, mortgage loan originators, employees, independent contractors, agents, and customers of the licensee, individual, or person subject to this Act concerning their business. (d) Each licensee, individual, or person subject to this Act shall make or compile reports or prepare other information as directed by the Commissioner in order to carry out the purposes of this Section including, but not limited to: (1) accounting compilations; (2) information lists and data concerning loan transactions in a format prescribed by the Commissioner; or (3) other information deemed necessary to carry out the purposes of this Section. (e) In making any examination or investigation authorized by this Act, the Commissioner may control access to any documents and records of the licensee or person under examination or investigation. The Commissioner may take possession of the documents and records or place a person in exclusive charge of the documents and records in the place where they are usually kept. During the period of control, no individual or person shall remove or attempt to remove any of the documents and records except pursuant to a court order or with the consent of the Commissioner. Unless the Commissioner has reasonable grounds to believe the documents or records of the licensee have been, or are at risk of being altered or destroyed for purposes of concealing a violation of this Act, the licensee or owner of the documents and records shall have access to the documents or records as necessary to conduct its ordinary business affairs. (f) In order to carry out the purposes of this Section, the Commissioner may: (1) retain attorneys, accountants, or other professionals and specialists as examiners, auditors, or investigators to conduct or assist in the conduct of examinations or investigations; (2) enter into agreements or relationships with other government officials or regulatory associations in order to improve efficiencies and reduce regulatory burden by sharing resources, standardized or uniform methods or procedures, and documents, records, information or evidence obtained under this Section; (3) use, hire, contract, or employ public or privately available analytical systems, methods, or software to examine or investigate the licensee, individual, or person subject to this Act; (4) accept and rely on examination or investigation reports made by other government officials, within or without this State; or (5) accept audit reports made by an independent certified public accountant for the licensee, individual, or person subject to this Act in the course of that part of the examination covering the same general subject matter as the audit and may incorporate the audit report in the report of the examination, report of investigation, or other writing of the Commissioner. (g) The authority of this Section shall remain in effect, whether such a licensee, individual, or person subject to this Act acts or claims to act under any licensing or registration law of this State, or claims to act without the authority. (h) No licensee, individual, or person subject to investigation or examination under this Section may knowingly withhold, abstract, remove, mutilate, destroy, or secrete any books, records, computer records, or other information.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 96-112, eff. 7-31-09; 97-1150, eff. 1-25-13.)