The director, after hearing or investigation, may refuse to grant a license or renewal thereof and may revoke or suspend any license or issue a conditional or probationary order, as the case may require, when he or she is satisfied that the licensee has executory or executed contracts for the purchase of agricultural products, or for the handling of agricultural products on consignment.

Terms Used In Washington Code 20.01.350

  • Commission merchant: means any person who receives on consignment for sale or processing and sale from the consignor thereof any agricultural product for sale on commission on behalf of the consignor, or who accepts any farm product in trust from the consignor thereof for the purpose of resale, or who sells or offers for sale on commission any agricultural product, or who in any way handles for the account of or as an agent of the consignor thereof, any agricultural product. See Washington Code 20.01.010
  • Dealer: means any person other than a cash buyer, as defined in subsection (4) of this section, who solicits, contracts for, or obtains from the consignor thereof for reselling or processing, title, possession, or control of any agricultural product, or who buys or agrees to buy any agricultural product from the consignor thereof for sale or processing and includes any person, other than one who acts solely as a producer, who retains title in an agricultural product and delivers it to a producer for further production or increase. See Washington Code 20.01.010
  • Director: means the director of agriculture or a duly authorized representative. See Washington Code 20.01.010
  • Licensee: means any person or business licensed under this chapter as a commission merchant, dealer, limited dealer, broker, cash buyer, or agent. See Washington Code 20.01.010
In such cases, if the director is satisfied that to permit the dealer or commission merchant to continue to purchase or to receive further shipments or deliveries of agricultural products would be likely to cause serious and irreparable loss to said consignor-creditors, or to consignors with whom the said dealer or commission merchant has said contracts, then the director within his or her discretion may thereupon and forthwith shorten the time herein provided for hearing upon an order to show cause why the license of said dealer or commission merchant should not be forthwith suspended, or revoked: PROVIDED, That the time of notice of said hearing, shall in no event be less than twenty-four hours, and the director shall, within that period, call a hearing at which the dealer or commission merchant proceeded against shall be ordered to show cause why the license should not be suspended, or revoked, or continued under such conditions and provisions, if any, as the director may consider just and proper and for the protection of the best interests of the producer-creditors involved. Said hearing, in the case of such emergency, may be called upon written notice, said notice to be served personally or by mail on the dealer or commission merchant involved, and may be held at the nearest office of the director or at such place as may be most convenient at the discretion of the director, for the attendance of all parties involved.