§ 45-706. License; issuance; denial; abandonment; appeal; renewal; fees; inactive status; renewal; reactivation of license; notice of cancellation.

(1) Upon the filing of an application for a license as a mortgage banker, if the director finds that the character and general fitness of the applicant, the members thereof if the applicant is a partnership, limited liability company, association, or other organization, and the officers, directors, and principal employees if the applicant is a corporation are such that the business will be operated honestly, soundly, and efficiently in the public interest consistent with the purposes of the Residential Mortgage Licensing Act, the director shall issue a license as a mortgage banker to the applicant. The director shall approve or deny an application for a license within ninety days after (a) acceptance of the application, (b) delivery of the bond required under section 45-724, and (c) payment of the required fee. (2) If the director determines that the mortgage banker license application should be denied, the director shall notify the applicant in writing of the denial and of the reasons for the denial. The director shall not deny an application for a mortgage banker license because of the failure to submit information required under the act or rules and regulations adopted and promulgated under the act without first giving the applicant an opportunity to correct the deficiency by supplying the missing information. A decision of the director denying a mortgage banker license application pursuant to the act may be appealed. The appeal shall be in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act and rules and regulations adopted and promulgated by the department under the act. The director may deny an application for a mortgage banker license application if (a) he or she determines that the applicant does not meet the conditions of subsection (1) of this section or (b) an officer, director, shareholder owning five percent or more of the voting shares of the applicant, partner, or member was convicted of, pleaded guilty to, or was found guilty after a plea of nolo contendere to (i) a misdemeanor under any state or federal law which involves dishonesty or fraud or which involves any aspect of the mortgage banking business, depository institution business, or installment loan company business or (ii) any felony under state or federal law. (3) If an applicant for a mortgage banker license does not complete the license application and fails to respond to a notice or notices from the department to correct the deficiency or deficiencies for a period of one hundred twenty days or more after the date the department sends the initial notice to correct the deficiency, the department may deem the application as abandoned and may issue a notice of abandonment of the application to the applicant in lieu of proceedings to deny the application. (4)(a) All initial licenses shall remain in full force and effect until the next succeeding December 31. Mortgage banker licenses may be renewed annually by submitting to the director a request for renewal and any supplemental material as required by the director. The mortgage banker licensee shall certify that the information contained in the license application, as subsequently amended, that is on file with the department and the information contained in any supplemental material previously provided to the department remains true and correct. (b) For the annual renewal of a license to conduct a mortgage banking business under the Residential Mortgage Licensing Act, the fee shall be two hundred dollars plus seventy-five dollars for each branch office, if applicable, and any processing fee allowed under subsection (2) of section 45-748. (5)(a) The department may place a mortgage banker licensee that is a sole proprietorship on inactive status for a period of up to twelve months upon receipt of a request from the licensee for inactive status. The request shall include notice that the licensee has temporarily suspended business, is not acting as a mortgage banker in this state, and has no pending customer complaints. The department shall notify the licensee within ten business days as to whether the request has been granted and, if granted, of the date of expiration of the inactive status. (b) If a mortgage banker license becomes inactive under this section, the license shall remain inactive until the license expires, is canceled, is surrendered, is suspended, is revoked, or is reactivated pursuant to subdivision (d) of this subsection. (c) An inactive mortgage banker licensee may renew such inactive license if the licensee remains otherwise eligible for renewal pursuant to subdivision (4)(a) of this section, except for being covered by a surety bond pursuant to section 45-724. Such renewal shall not reactivate the license. (d) The department has the authority to reactivate an inactive mortgage banker license following the department's receipt of a request from the inactive licensee that the licensee intends to resume business as a mortgage banker in this state if the inactive mortgage banker licensee meets the conditions for licensing at the time reactivation is requested, including, but not limited to, coverage by a surety bond pursuant to section 45-724. (e) The department shall issue a notice of cancellation of an inactive mortgage banker license following the expiration of the period of inactive status set by the department pursuant to subdivision (a) of this subsection if the inactive mortgage banker licensee fails to request reactivation of the license prior to the date of expiration. (6) The director may require a mortgage banker licensee to maintain a minimum net worth, proven by an audit conducted by a certified public accountant, if the director determines that the financial condition of the licensee warrants such a requirement or that the requirement is in the public interest. History: Laws 1989, LB 272, § 9; Laws 1993, LB 121, § 275; Laws 1995, LB 163, § 4; Laws 2003, LB 218, § 4; Laws 2005, LB 533, § 53; Laws 2006, LB 876, § 29; Laws 2007, LB124, § 43; Laws 2008, LB380, § 2; Laws 2009, LB328, § 8; Laws 2012, LB965, § 14; Laws 2015, LB352, § 1.