2013 Rhode Island General Laws
Title 19 - Financial institutions
Chapter 19-14.10 - An Act Adopting the Federal Secure and Fair Enforcement for Mortgage Licensing Act of 2009
Section 19-14.10-16 - Investigation and examination authority.

§ 19-14.10-16 Investigation and examination authority. – In addition to any authority allowed under this chapter the director or the director's designee shall have the authority to conduct investigations and examinations as follows:

(1) 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 chapter, the director or the director's designee shall have the authority to access, receive and use any books, accounts, records, files, documents, information or evidence including but not limited to:

(i) Criminal, civil and administrative history information, including non-conviction data, or other non-public record as specified in subparagraph 38-2-2(4)(D), specifically, or any other criminal, civil, and administrative record deemed non-public under § 38-2-1 et seq., generally; and

(ii) Personal history and experience information including independent credit reports obtained from a consumer reporting agency described in § 603(p) of the Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act; and

(iii) Any other documents, information or evidence the director or the director's designee deems relevant to the inquiry or investigation regardless of the location, possession, control or custody of such documents, information or evidence.

(2) For the purposes of investigating violations or complaints arising under this chapter, or for the purposes of examination, the director or the director's designee may review, investigate, or examine any licensee, individual or person subject to this chapter, as often as necessary in order to carry out the purposes of this chapter. The director or the director's designee 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 such person to produce books, accounts, records, files, and any other documents the director or the director's designee deems relevant to the inquiry.

(3) Each licensee, individual or person subject to this chapter shall make available to the director or the director's designee upon request the books and records relating to the operations of such licensee, individual or person subject to this chapter. The director or the director's designee 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 chapter concerning their business.

(4) Each licensee, individual or person subject to this chapter shall make or compile reports or prepare other information as directed by the director or the director's designee in order to carry out the purposes of this section including but not limited to:

(i) Accounting compilations;

(ii) Information lists and data concerning loan transactions in a format prescribed by the director or the director's designee; or

(iii) Such other information deemed necessary to carry out the purposes of this section.

(5) In making any examination or investigation authorized by this chapter, the director or the director's designee may control access to any documents and records of the licensee or person under examination or investigation. The director or the director's designee 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 director or the director's designee. Unless the director or the director's designee 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 chapter, 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.

(6) In order to carry out the purposes of this section, the director or the director's designee may:

(i) Retain attorneys, accountants, or other professionals and specialists as examiners, auditors, or investigators to conduct or assist in the conduct of examinations or investigations;

(ii) Enter into agreements or relationships with other government officials or regulatory associations in order to improve efficiencies and reduce regulatory burden by sharing resources, standardize or uniform methods or procedures, and documents, records, information or evidence obtained under this section;

(iii) 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 chapter;

(iv) Accept and rely on examination or investigation reports made by other government officials, within or without this state; or

(v) Accept audit reports made by an independent certified public accountant for the licensee, individual or person subject to this chapter 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 director or the director's designee.

(7) The authority of this section shall remain in effect, whether such a licensee, individual or person subject to this chapter acts or claims to act under any licensing or registration law of this state, or claims to act without such authority.

(8) 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.

History of Section.
(P.L. 2009, ch. 148, § 3; P.L. 2009, ch. 160, § 3.)