§ 24-145. Administrative hearing - Suspension, revocation or surrender of license.

A.  The Administrator shall appoint an independent hearing examiner to conduct all administrative hearings involving alleged violations of the Credit Services Organization Act.  The independent hearing examiner shall have authority to exercise all powers granted by Article II of the Administrative Procedures Act in conducting hearings.  The independent hearing examiner shall have authority to recommend penalties authorized by the Credit Services Organization Act and issue proposed orders, with proposed findings of fact and proposed conclusions of law, to the Administrator pursuant to Article II of the Administrative Procedures Act.  The Administrator shall review the proposed order and issue a final agency order in accordance with Article II of the Administrative Procedures Act.  A final agency order issued by the Administrator shall be appealable by all parties to the district court as provided in Article II of the Administrative Procedures Act.  The costs of the hearing examiner may be assessed by the hearing examiner against the respondent, unless the respondent is the prevailing party.

B.  The Administrator may, after notice and hearing, decline to renew a license, suspend or revoke any license, or in addition to or in lieu of suspension or revocation, order refunds for any unlawful charges or enter a cease and desist order if the Administrator finds that:

1.  The licensee has failed to pay any fee or charge properly imposed by the Administrator under the authority of the Credit Services Organization Act;

2.  The licensee or any entity or individual subject to the Credit Services Organization Act, either knowingly or without the exercise of due care to prevent the same, has violated any provisions of the Credit Services Organization Act or any regulation or order lawfully made pursuant thereto; or

3.  Any fact or condition exists which, if it had existed or had been known to exist at the time of the original application for a license, clearly would have justified the Administrator in refusing the license.

C.  Any licensee may surrender any license by delivering it to the Administrator with written notice of its surrender, but such surrender shall not affect the licensee's civil or criminal liability for acts committed prior thereto.

D.  No revocation, suspension or surrender of any license shall impair or affect the obligation of any preexisting lawful contract between the licensee and any customer.

E.  The Administrator may reinstate suspended licenses or issue new licenses to a person whose license or licenses have been revoked if no fact or condition then exists which clearly would have justified the Administrator in refusing originally to issue such license pursuant to the Credit Services Organization Act.

F.  On application of any person and payment of the cost thereof, the Administrator shall furnish under the seal and signature of the Administrator a certificate of good standing or a certified copy of any license.

G.  Any entity or individual offering to engage or engaged as a credit service organization without a license in this state shall be subject to a civil penalty not to exceed Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00).

H.  The Administrator may impose a civil penalty as prescribed in subsection G of this section, after notice and hearing in accordance with Article II of the Administrative Procedures Act.  Any administrative order or settlement agreement imposing a civil penalty pursuant to this section may be enforced in the same manner as civil judgments in this state.  The Administrator may file an application to enforce an administrative order or settlement agreement imposing a civil penalty in the district court of Oklahoma County.

Added by Laws 1987, c. 208, § 50, operative July 1, 1987.  Amended by Laws 1987, c. 236, § 76, emerg. eff. July 20, 1987; Laws 2010, c. 415, § 12, eff. July 1, 2010.