(a)(1) The commissioner shall not issue an initial license for a mortgage lender, mortgage correspondent lender or mortgage broker unless the commissioner, at a minimum, finds that: (A) The applicant meets the requirements of subsection (a) of § 36a-488; (B) notwithstanding the provisions of § 46a-80, the applicant, the control persons of the applicant and the qualified individual or branch manager have not been convicted of, or pled guilty or nolo contendere to, a felony in a domestic, foreign or military court during the seven-year period preceding the date of the application for licensing or at any time preceding the date of application if such felony involved an act of fraud, dishonesty, a breach of trust or money laundering, provided any pardon or expungement of a conviction shall not be a conviction for purposes of this subdivision; (C) the applicant demonstrates that the financial responsibility, character and general fitness of the applicant, the control persons of the applicant and the qualified individual or branch manager are such as to command the confidence of the community and to warrant a determination that the applicant will operate honestly, fairly and efficiently within the purposes of sections 36a-485 to 36a-498e, inclusive, 36a-498h, 36a-534a and 36a-534b; (D) the applicant has met the surety bond requirement under § 36a-492; and (E) the applicant, the control persons of the applicant and the qualified individual or branch manager have not made a material misstatement in the application. If the commissioner fails to make such findings, the commissioner shall not issue a license, and shall notify the applicant of the denial and the reasons for such denial. For purposes of this subsection, the level of offense of the crime and the status of any conviction, pardon or expungement shall be determined by reference to the law of the jurisdiction where the case was prosecuted. In the event that such jurisdiction does not use the term “felony”, “pardon” or “expungement”, such terms shall include legally equivalent events.

Terms Used In Connecticut General Statutes 36a-489

  • Commissioner: means the Banking Commissioner and, with respect to any function of the commissioner, includes any person authorized or designated by the commissioner to carry out that function. See Connecticut General Statutes 36a-2
  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
  • 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.
  • Licensee: means any person who is licensed or required to be licensed pursuant to the applicable provisions of this title. See Connecticut General Statutes 36a-2
  • Loan: includes any line of credit or other extension of credit. See Connecticut General Statutes 36a-2
  • Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
  • Mortgage loan: A loan made by a lender to a borrower for the financing of real property. Source: OCC
  • Nolo contendere: No contest-has the same effect as a plea of guilty, as far as the criminal sentence is concerned, but may not be considered as an admission of guilt for any other purpose.
  • Person: means an individual, company, including a company described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of subdivision (11) of this section, or any other legal entity, including a federal, state or municipal government or agency or any political subdivision thereof. See Connecticut General Statutes 36a-2
  • System: means the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry, NMLS, NMLSR or such other name or acronym as may be assigned to the multistate system developed by the Conference of State Bank Supervisors and the American Association of Residential Mortgage Regulators and owned and operated by the State Regulatory Registry, LLC, or any successor or affiliated entity, for the licensing and registration of persons in the mortgage and other financial services industries. See Connecticut General Statutes 36a-2

(2) (A) The minimum standards for license renewal for a mortgage lender, mortgage correspondent lender or mortgage broker shall include the following: (i) The applicant continues to meet the minimum standards under subdivision (1) of this subsection; and (ii) the mortgage lender, mortgage correspondent lender or mortgage broker has paid all required fees for renewal of the license and has paid any outstanding examination fees or other moneys due to the commissioner.

(B) The license of a mortgage lender, mortgage correspondent lender or mortgage broker failing to satisfy the minimum standards for license renewal shall expire. The commissioner may adopt procedures for the reinstatement of expired licenses consistent with the standards established by the system. The commissioner may automatically suspend a mortgage lender, mortgage correspondent lender or mortgage broker license if the licensee receives a deficiency on the system indicating that the payment required by subparagraph (A) of this subdivision was Returned-ACH or returned pursuant to such other term as may be utilized by the system to indicate that the payment was not accepted. After a license has been automatically suspended pursuant to this section, the commissioner shall (i) give the licensee notice of the automatic suspension, pending proceedings for revocation or refusal to renew pursuant to § 36a-494 and an opportunity for a hearing on such action in accordance with § 36a-51, and (ii) require such licensee to take or refrain from taking such action as the commissioner deems necessary to effectuate the purposes of this section.

(b) (1) The commissioner shall not issue an initial license for a mortgage loan originator or a loan processor or underwriter unless the commissioner, at a minimum, finds that the applicant has: (A) Never had a mortgage loan originator or equivalent loan processor or underwriter license revoked in any governmental jurisdiction, except that a subsequent formal vacating of such revocation shall not be deemed a revocation; (B) notwithstanding the provisions of § 46a-80, not been convicted of, or pled guilty or nolo contendere to, a felony in a domestic, foreign or military court during the seven-year period preceding the date of the application for licensing or at any time preceding such date of application if such felony involved an act of fraud, dishonesty, a breach of trust, or money laundering, provided any pardon or expungement of a conviction shall not be a conviction for purposes of this subdivision; (C) demonstrated financial responsibility, character and general fitness so as to command the confidence of the community and to warrant a determination that the mortgage loan originator or loan processor or underwriter will operate honestly, fairly and efficiently within the purposes of sections 36a-485 to 36a-498e, inclusive, 36a-498h, 36a-534a and 36a-534b; (D) completed the prelicensing education requirement described in § 36a-489a and passed a written test that meets the test requirement described in § 36a-489a; (E) met the surety bond requirement under § 36a-492 and, in the case of a mortgage loan originator required to be licensed under § 36a-671e, met the surety bond requirements under sections 36a-492 and 36a-671d; and (F) not made a material misstatement in the application. If the commissioner denies an application for a mortgage loan originator or a loan processor or underwriter license, the commissioner shall notify the applicant and may notify the sponsor or any other person the commissioner deems appropriate of the denial and the reasons for such denial. For purposes of this subsection, the level of offense of the crime and the status of any conviction, pardon or expungement shall be determined by reference to the law of the jurisdiction where the case was prosecuted. In the event that such jurisdiction does not use the term “felony”, “pardon” or “expungement”, those terms shall include legally equivalent events.

(2) (A) The minimum standards for license renewal for a mortgage loan originator or a loan processor or underwriter shall include the following: (i) The licensee continues to meet the minimum standards for license issuance under subdivision (1) of this subsection; (ii) the licensee has satisfied the annual continuing education requirements described in subsection (c) of § 36a-489a; and (iii) the licensee has paid all required fees for renewal of the license and any outstanding examination fees or other moneys due to the commissioner.

(B) The license of a mortgage loan originator or a loan processor or underwriter that fails to satisfy the minimum standards for license renewal shall expire. The commissioner may adopt procedures for the reinstatement of expired licenses consistent with the standards established by the system. The commissioner may automatically suspend a mortgage loan originator or a loan processor or underwriter license if the licensee receives a deficiency on the system indicating that the payment of renewal fees required by subparagraph (A) of subdivision (2) of this subsection was Returned-ACH or returned pursuant to such other term as may be utilized by the system to indicate that the payment was not accepted. After a license has been automatically suspended pursuant to this section, the commissioner shall (i) give the licensee notice of the automatic suspension, pending proceedings for revocation or refusal to renew pursuant to § 36a-494 and an opportunity for a hearing on such action in accordance with § 36a-51 and (ii) require such licensee to take or refrain from taking such action as the commissioner deems necessary to effectuate the purposes of this section.

(c) For purposes of this section, a person has shown that such person is not financially responsible when such person has shown a disregard in the management of such person’s own financial condition. A determination that a person has not shown financial responsibility may include, but is not limited to: (1) Current outstanding judgments, except judgments solely as a result of medical expenses; (2) current outstanding tax liens or other government liens and filings; (3) foreclosures during the three years preceding the date of application for an initial license or renewal of a license; or (4) a pattern of seriously delinquent accounts within the past three years.

(d) (1) The commissioner shall not issue a lead generator license to an applicant for such license unless the commissioner, at a minimum, finds that: (A) The applicant demonstrates that the character, reputation, integrity and general fitness of the applicant, any control person of the applicant and the qualified individual are such as to command the confidence of the community and warrant a determination that the applicant will operate honestly, fairly and efficiently within the purposes of sections 36a-485 to 36a-498e, inclusive, 36a-498h, 36a-534a and 36a-534b; (B) the applicant has not made a material misstatement in the application; and (C) the applicant has met any other requirements determined by the commissioner. If the commissioner fails to make such findings, the commissioner shall not issue a license and shall notify the applicant of the denial and the reasons for such denial. Without limiting the foregoing requirements of this subdivision, and subject to the provisions of § 46a-80, the commissioner may deny an application based on the history of criminal convictions of the applicant, any control person of the applicant or the qualified individual.

(2) (A) The minimum standards for license renewal for a lead generator shall include the following: (i) The applicant continues to meet the minimum standards under subdivision (1) of this subsection; and (ii) the lead generator has paid all required fees for renewal of a license and any outstanding examination fees or other moneys due to the commissioner.

(B) The license of a lead generator who fails to satisfy the minimum standards for license renewal shall expire. The commissioner may adopt procedures for the reinstatement of expired licenses consistent with the standards established by the system. The commissioner may automatically suspend a lead generator license if the licensee receives a deficiency on the system indicating that the payment of renewal fees required by subparagraph (A) of subdivision (2) of this subsection was Returned-ACH or returned pursuant to such other term as may be utilized by the system to indicate that the payment was not accepted. After a license has been automatically suspended pursuant to this section, the commissioner shall (i) give the licensee notice of the automatic suspension, pending proceedings for revocation or refusal to renew pursuant to § 36a-494, and an opportunity for a hearing on such action in accordance with § 36a-51; and (ii) require such licensee to take or refrain from taking such action as the commissioner deems necessary to effectuate the purposes of this section.

(e) The commissioner may deem an application for a license under this section abandoned if the applicant fails to respond to any request for information required under sections 36a-485 to 36a-498e, inclusive, 36a-498h, 36a-534a and 36a-534b, or the regulations adopted pursuant to said sections. The commissioner shall notify the applicant on the system that if such information is not submitted not later than sixty days from the date of such request the application shall be deemed abandoned. An application filing fee paid prior to the date an application is deemed abandoned pursuant to this subsection shall not be refunded. Abandonment of an application pursuant to this subsection shall not preclude the applicant from submitting a new application for a license under sections 36a-485 to 36a-498e, inclusive, 36a-498h, 36a-534a and 36a-534b.