(a) The commissioner shall adopt rules necessary to implement and enforce this chapter. Upon finding probable cause to believe that an authorized lender or any other person, firm, or corporation is in violation of this chapter, or of any law or any rule or regulation of this state, the United States, or an agency of the state or the United States, the commissioner shall, after affording reasonable notice and opportunity to be heard to the lender, order the lender to cease and desist from the violation.

Terms Used In Tennessee Code 47-30-116

  • Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
  • Borrower: means a natural person who occupies and owns in fee simple individually, or with another borrower as tenants by the entireties or as joint tenants with right of survivorship, an interest in residential real property securing a reverse mortgage loan, and who borrows money under a reverse mortgage loan. See Tennessee Code 47-30-102
  • Commissioner: means the commissioner of financial institutions. See Tennessee Code 47-30-102
  • Common law: The legal system that originated in England and is now in use in the United States. It is based on judicial decisions rather than legislative action.
  • 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.
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • lender: means :
    (A) A bank, savings and loan association, savings bank, savings institution, or credit union chartered under the laws of the United States or of Tennessee. See Tennessee Code 47-30-102
  • Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
  • Person: includes a corporation, firm, company or association. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
  • Reverse mortgage: means a mortgage or deed of trust securing a home equity conversion loan or reverse mortgage loan. See Tennessee Code 47-30-102
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • United States: includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
(b) If a lender fails to comply with or appeal the commissioner’s cease and desist order, the lender is subject to a civil penalty of one thousand dollars ($1,000) for each violation that is the subject of the cease and desist order. The penalty imposed under this section is in addition to and not in lieu of penalties available under any other law applicable to a reverse mortgage lender.
(c) Upon a finding that a reverse mortgage lender has violated this chapter, the commissioner may revoke, temporarily or permanently, the authority of the lender to make reverse mortgage loans.
(d) A person damaged by a lender’s actions may file an action in civil court to recover actual and punitive damages. Attorneys’ fees shall be awarded to a prevailing borrower. Nothing in this chapter shall limit any statutory or common law right of a person to bring an action in court for any act, nor shall this chapter limit the right of the state to punish a person for the violation of any law.