(a) The Secretary may refuse to grant, and may suspend or revoke, any certificate of authority, registration, or license issued pursuant to this Act or may impose a fine for a violation of this Act if he determines that the holder of or applicant for such certificate, registration or license:
         (1) has intentionally made a material misstatement or
    
fraudulent misrepresentation in relation to a matter covered by this Act;
        (2) has misappropriated or tortiously converted to
    
its own use, or illegally withheld, monies held in a fiduciary capacity;
        (3) has demonstrated untrustworthiness or
    
incompetency in transacting the business of guaranteeing titles to real estate in such a manner as to endanger the public;
        (4) has materially misrepresented the terms or
    
conditions of contracts or agreements to which it is a party;
        (5) has paid any commissions, discounts or any part
    
of its premiums, fees or other charges to any person in violation of any State or federal law or regulations or opinion letters issued under the federal Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act of 1974;
        (6) has failed to comply with the deposit and reserve
    
requirements of this Act or any other requirements of this Act;
        (7) has committed fraud or misrepresentation in
    
applying for or procuring any certificate of authority, registration, or license issued pursuant to this Act;
        (8) has a conviction or plea of guilty or plea of
    
nolo contendere in this State or any other jurisdiction to (i) any felony or (ii) a misdemeanor, an essential element of which is dishonesty or fraud or larceny, embezzlement, or obtaining money, property, or credit by false pretenses or by means of a confidence game;
        (9) has been disciplined by another state, the
    
District of Columbia, a territory, foreign nation, a governmental agency, or any entity authorized to impose discipline if at least one of the grounds for that discipline is the same as or equivalent to one of the grounds for which a title insurance company, title insurance agent, or independent escrowee may be disciplined under this Act or if at least one of the grounds for that discipline involves dishonesty; a certified copy of the record of the action by the other state or jurisdiction shall be prima facie evidence thereof;
        (10) has advertising that is inaccurate, misleading,
    
or contrary to the provisions of this Act;
        (11) has knowingly and willfully made any substantial
    
misrepresentation or untruthful advertising;
        (12) has made any false promises of a character
    
likely to influence, persuade, or induce;
        (13) has knowingly failed to account for or remit any
    
money or documents coming into the possession of a title insurance company, title insurance agent, or independent escrowee that belong to others;
        (14) has engaged in dishonorable, unethical, or
    
unprofessional conduct of a character likely to deceive, defraud, or harm the public;
        (15) has violated the terms of a disciplinary order
    
issued by the Department;
        (16) has disregarded or violated any provision of
    
this Act or the published rules adopted by the Department to enforce this Act or has aided or abetted any individual, partnership, registered limited liability partnership, limited liability company, or corporation in disregarding any provision of this Act or the published rules; or
        (17) has acted as a title insurance company, title
    
insurance agent, or independent escrowee without a certificate of authority, registration, or license after the title insurance company, title insurance agent, or independent escrowee’s certificate of authority, registration, or license was inoperative.
    (b) In every case where a registration or certificate is suspended or revoked, or an application for a registration or certificate or renewal thereof is refused, the Secretary shall serve notice of his action, including a statement of the reasons for his action, as provided by this Act. When a notice of suspension or revocation of a certificate of authority is given to a title insurance company, the Secretary shall also notify all the registered agents of that title insurance company of the Secretary’s action.

Terms Used In Illinois Compiled Statutes 215 ILCS 155/21

  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Embezzlement: In most states, embezzlement is defined as theft/larceny of assets (money or property) by a person in a position of trust or responsibility over those assets. Embezzlement typically occurs in the employment and corporate settings. Source: OCC
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
  • Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
  • individual: shall include every infant member of the species homo sapiens who is born alive at any stage of development. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 5 ILCS 70/1.36
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
  • Plea: In a criminal case, the defendant's statement pleading "guilty" or "not guilty" in answer to the charges, a declaration made in open court.
  • Precedent: A court decision in an earlier case with facts and law similar to a dispute currently before a court. Precedent will ordinarily govern the decision of a later similar case, unless a party can show that it was wrongly decided or that it differed in some significant way.
  • Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
  • State: when applied to different parts of the United States, may be construed to include the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" may be construed to include the said district and territories. See Illinois Compiled Statutes 5 ILCS 70/1.14

     (c) In the case of a refusal to issue or renew a certificate or accept a registration, the applicant or registrant may request in writing, within 30 days after the date of service, a hearing. In the case of a refusal to renew, the expiring registration or certificate shall be deemed to continue in force until 30 days after the service of the notice of refusal to renew, or if a hearing is requested during that period, until a final order is entered pursuant to such hearing.
     (d) The suspension or revocation of a registration or certificate shall take effect upon service of notice thereof. The holder of any such suspended registration or certificate may request in writing, within 30 days of such service, a hearing.
     (e) In cases of suspension or revocation of registration pursuant to subsection (a), the Secretary may, in the public interest, issue an order of suspension or revocation which shall take effect upon service of notification thereof. Such order shall become final 60 days from the date of service unless the registrant requests in writing, within such 60 days, a formal hearing thereon. In the event a hearing is requested, the order shall remain temporary until a final order is entered pursuant to such hearing.
     (f) Hearing shall be held at such time and place as may be designated by the Secretary either in the City of Springfield, the City of Chicago, or in the county in which the principal business office of the affected registrant or certificate holder is located.
     (g) The suspension or revocation of a registration or certificate or the refusal to issue or renew a registration or certificate shall not in any way limit or terminate the responsibilities of any registrant or certificate holder arising under any policy or contract of title insurance to which it is a party. No new contract or policy of title insurance may be issued, nor may any existing policy or contract to title insurance be renewed by any registrant or certificate holder during any period of suspension or revocation of a registration or certificate.
     (h) The Secretary may issue a cease and desist order to a title insurance company, agent, or other entity doing business without the required license or registration, when in the opinion of the Secretary, the company, agent, or other entity is violating or is about to violate any provision of this Act or any law or of any rule or condition imposed in writing by the Department.
     The Secretary may issue the cease and desist order without notice and before a hearing.
     The Secretary shall have the authority to prescribe rules for the administration of this Section.
     If it is determined that the Secretary had the authority to issue the cease and desist order, he may issue such orders as may be reasonably necessary to correct, eliminate or remedy such conduct.
     Any person or company subject to an order pursuant to this Section is entitled to judicial review of the order in accordance with the provisions of the Administrative Review Law.
     The powers vested in the Secretary by this Section are additional to any and all other powers and remedies vested in the Secretary by law, and nothing in this Section shall be construed as requiring that the Secretary shall employ the powers conferred in this Section instead of or as a condition precedent to the exercise of any other power or remedy vested in the Secretary.
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