(a)  If the director has reason to believe that any person, firm, corporation, or association is conducting any activities requiring registration under this chapter without obtaining registration or, after the denial, suspension, or revocation of a registration conducts any activities requiring registration under this chapter, the department may issue an order to that person, firm, corporation, or association commanding them to appear before the department at a hearing to be held no sooner than ten (10) days nor later than twenty (20) days after issuance of that order to show cause why the department should not issue an order to that person to cease and desist from any violations of this chapter.

Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 5-20.9-17

  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the 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.
  • Department: means the department of business regulation. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-20.9-2
  • Director: means the director of the department of business regulation. See Rhode Island General Laws 5-20.9-2
  • in writing: include printing, engraving, lithographing, and photo-lithographing, and all other representations of words in letters of the usual form. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-16
  • 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.
  • person: may be construed to extend to and include co-partnerships and bodies corporate and politic. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-6
  • Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.

(b)  The order to show cause may be served on any person, firm, corporation, or association named in the order in the same manner that summons in a civil action may be served, or by mailing a copy of the order to that person at any address at which he or she has done business or at which he or she lives. If, upon that hearing, the department is satisfied that the person is in fact violating any provision of this chapter, the department may order that person, in writing, to cease and desist from that violation.

(c)  All hearings shall be governed in accordance with chapter 35 of Title 42, the “administrative procedures act.” If that person fails to comply with an order of the department after being afforded a hearing, the superior court has jurisdiction upon complaint of the department to restrain and enjoin that person from violating this chapter.

History of Section.
P.L. 2017, ch. 14, § 1; P.L. 2017, ch. 26, § 1.