(a) Every loan broker must obtain a surety bond issued by a surety company authorized to do business in this State, or establish a trust account with a licensed and insured bank or savings institution located in the State of North Carolina. The amount of the bond or trust account shall be ten thousand dollars ($10,000). The bond or trust account shall be in favor of the State of North Carolina. Any person damaged by the loan broker's breach of contract or of any obligation arising therefrom, or by any violation of this Article, may bring an action against the bond or trust account to recover damages suffered. The aggregate liability of the surety or trustee shall be only for actual damages and in no event shall exceed the amount of the bond or trust account.
(b) Failure to comply with subsection (a) shall be a Class 1 misdemeanor.
(c) No loan broker shall collect any advance fee or other valuable consideration from a borrower prior to the closing of the loan. This prohibition shall not preclude the loan broker from collecting reasonable and necessary fees payable to third parties for appraisal, property survey, title examination, and credit reports.
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