§31-17A-12. Enforcement authorities, violations and penalties.

(a) To ensure the effective supervision and enforcement of this article, the commissioner may:

(1) Deny, suspend, revoke, condition or decline to renew a license issued under this article for a violation of this article or rules or order or directive entered under this article;

(2) Deny, suspend, revoke, condition or decline to renew a license if an applicant or licensee fails at any time to meet the requirements of section five or eight of this article, or withholds information or makes a material misstatement in an application for a license or renewal of a license;

(3) Order restitution against persons subject to this article for violations of this article;

(4) Impose civil administrative penalties on persons subject to this article pursuant to subsections (b), (c) and (d) of this section; and

(5) Issue orders or directives under this article as follows:

(A) Order or direct persons subject to this article to cease and desist from conducting business, including immediate temporary orders to cease and desist;

(B) Order or direct persons subject to this article to cease any harmful activities or violations of this article, including immediate temporary orders to cease and desist;

(C) Enter immediate temporary orders to cease business under a license or interim license issued pursuant to the authority granted under section three if the commissioner determines that such license was erroneously issued or the licensee is currently in violation of this article; and

(D) Order or direct such other affirmative action as the commissioner deems necessary.

(b) The commissioner may impose a civil administrative penalty on a mortgage loan originator or person subject to this article if the commissioner finds, on the record after notice and opportunity for hearing, that such mortgage loan originator or person subject to this article has violated or failed to comply with any requirement of this article or any rule prescribed by the commissioner under this article or order issued under authority of this article.

(c) The maximum amount of penalty for each act or omission described in subsection (b) of this section shall be $25,000.

(d) Each violation or failure to comply with any directive or order of the commissioner is a separate and distinct violation or failure.

(e) If the commissioner takes any enforcement action under this article, he or she shall enter an order to that effect and shall cause a copy of that order to be served in person or by certified mail, return receipt requested, or in any other manner in which process in a civil action in this state may be served, on the applicant or licensee. The commissioner shall also submit a copy of the order for publication in the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry when that functionality of the system becomes available. An applicant or licensee adversely affected by an order may request an appeal and shall be provided a hearing as provided in section fourteen, article seventeen of this chapter.