(A) After notice and opportunity for a hearing conducted in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, the superintendent of financial institutions may do the following:
(1) Suspend, revoke, or refuse to issue or renew a certificate of registration, license, or letter of exemption if the superintendent finds any of the following:
(a) A violation of or failure to comply with any provision of this chapter or the rules adopted under this chapter, federal lending law, or any other law applicable to the business conducted under a certificate of registration or license;
(b) A conviction of or guilty or nolo contendere plea to a felony in a domestic, foreign, or military court;
(c) A conviction of or guilty or nolo contendere plea to any criminal offense involving theft, receiving stolen property, embezzlement, forgery, fraud, passing bad checks, money laundering, breach of trust, dishonesty, or drug trafficking, or any criminal offense involving money or securities, in a domestic, foreign, or military court;
(d) The revocation of a certificate of registration or mortgage loan originator license, or any comparable authority, in any governmental jurisdiction.
(2) Impose a fine of not more than one thousand dollars, for each day a violation of a law or rule is committed, repeated, or continued. If the registrant, letter of exemption holder, or licensee engages in a pattern of repeated violations of a law or rule, the superintendent may impose a fine of not more than two thousand dollars for each day the violation is committed, repeated, or continued. All fines collected pursuant to this division shall be paid to the treasurer of state to the credit of the consumer finance fund created in section1321.21of the Revised Code. In determining the amount of a fine to be imposed pursuant to this division, the superintendent may consider all of the following, to the extent known by the division of financial institutions:
(a) The seriousness of the violation;
(b) The registrant's or licensee's good faith efforts to prevent the violation;
(c) The registrant's or licensee's history regarding violations and compliance with division orders;
(d) The registrant's or licensee's financial resources;
(e) Any other matters the superintendent considers appropriate in enforcing this chapter.
(B) The superintendent may investigate alleged violations of this chapter or the rules adopted under this chapter or complaints concerning any violation.
(1) The superintendent may make application to the court of common pleas for an order enjoining any violation and, upon a showing by the superintendent that a person has committed or is about to commit that violation, the court shall grant an injunction, restraining order, or other appropriate relief.
(2) The superintendent may make application to the court of common pleas for an order enjoining any person from acting as a mortgage lender, mortgage servicer, mortgage broker, registrant, mortgage loan originator, or licensee in violation of division (A) or (B) of section1322.07of the Revised Code, and may seek and obtain civil penalties for unregistered or unlicensed conduct of not more than five thousand dollars per violation.
(C) In conducting any investigation pursuant to this section, the superintendent may compel, by subpoena, witnesses to testify in relation to any matter over which the superintendent has jurisdiction and may require the production of any book, record, or other document pertaining to that matter. If a person fails to file any statement or report, obey any subpoena, give testimony, produce any book, record, or other document as required by a subpoena, or permit photocopying of any book, record, or other document subpoenaed, the court of common pleas of any county in this state, upon application made to it by the superintendent, shall compel obedience by attachment proceedings for contempt, as in the case of disobedience of the requirements of a subpoena issued from the court or a refusal to testify therein.
(D) If the superintendent determines that a person is engaged in or is believed to be engaged in activities that may constitute a violation of this chapter or any rule adopted thereunder, the superintendent, after notice and a hearing conducted in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, may issue a cease and desist order. If the administrative action is to enjoin a person from acting as a mortgage lender, mortgage servicer, mortgage broker, or mortgage loan originator in violation of division (A) or (B) of section1322.07of the Revised Code, the superintendent may seek and impose fines for that conduct in an amount not to exceed five thousand dollars per violation. Such an order shall be enforceable in the court of common pleas.
(E) If the superintendent revokes a certificate of registration, letter of exemption, or mortgage loan originator license, the revocation shall be permanent and with prejudice.
(F)(1) To protect the public interest, the superintendent may, without a prior hearing, do any of the following:
(a) Suspend the certificate of registration, letter of exemption, or mortgage loan originator license of a registrant or licensee who is convicted of or pleads guilty or nolo contendere to a criminal violation of any provision of this chapter or any criminal offense described in division (A)(1)(b) or (c) of this section;
(b) Suspend the certificate of registration of a registrant who violates division (F) of section1322.32of the Revised Code;
(c) Suspend the certificate of registration or mortgage loan originator license of a registrant or licensee who fails to comply with a request made by the superintendent under section1322.09or1322.20of the Revised Code to inspect qualifying education transcripts located at the registrant's or licensee's place of business.
(2) The superintendent may, in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, subsequently revoke any registration or license suspended under division (F)(1) of this section.
(G) The imposition of fines under this section does not preclude any penalty imposed under section1322.99of the Revised Code.
Last updated June 15, 2021 at 5:37 PM