Chapter 2. Administration of California Financial Code >> Division 15. >> Chapter 2.

The commissioner shall administer the provisions of this division.

(a) The commissioner may from time to time issue such regulations and orders as are in his or her opinion necessary to carry out the provisions and purposes of this division.
  (b) Regulations and orders issued under this division may, among other things, define any term used in this division, including (but not limited to) the term "unsafe or unsound act", as well as any term not used in this division.
  (c) For purposes of regulations and orders issued under this division, the commissioner may classify persons, transactions, and other matters within his or her jurisdiction, and may prescribe different regulations or orders for different classes.
  (d) The commissioner may waive any provision of any regulation or order issued under this division in any case where in his or her opinion such provision is not necessary in the public interest.

Whenever the commissioner issues an order or license under this division, he or she may impose such conditions as are in his or her opinion necessary to carry out the provisions and purposes of this division.

Every final order, decision, license, or other official act of the commissioner under this division is subject to judicial review in accordance with law.

In any proceeding under this division:
  (a) The burden of proving that an application should be approved is upon the applicant.
  (b) The burden of proving an exemption or an exception from a definition is upon the person claiming such exemption or such exception from a definition.

No provision of this division shall be construed to require by implication that the commissioner hold a hearing on any matter.

No provision of this division shall be construed to require by implication that the commissioner make written findings on any matter.

Any application filed with the commissioner under this division or under any regulation or order issued under this division shall be in such form, shall contain such information, shall be signed in such manner, and shall (if the commissioner so requires by regulation or order) be verified in such manner, as the commissioner may by regulation or order require.

In determining whether to approve any application filed under this division or under any regulation or order issued under this division, the commissioner may consider proposals made by the applicant, including (but not limited to) proposals to appoint officers, sell securities, or obtain financing; and, if in the opinion of the commissioner it is probable that such applicant will be able to implement any such proposal, the commissioner may make findings on the basis of such proposal; provided, however, that, whenever the commissioner approves an application on the basis, in whole or in part, of a proposal made by the applicant, the commissioner shall impose upon such approval appropriate conditions requiring that such applicant implement such proposal within such period of time as the commissioner may specify.

The commissioner may honor applications from interested persons for interpretive opinions regarding any provision of this division or of any regulation or order issued under this division.

(a) The commissioner may (1) make such public or private investigations within or outside this state as he or she deems necessary to determine whether to approve any application filed with him or her under this division or under any regulation or order issued under this division, to determine whether any person has violated or is about to violate any provision of this division or of any regulation or order issued under this division, to aid in the enforcement of any provision of this division or of any regulation or order issued under this division, or to aid in the issuing of regulations or orders under this division, and (2) publish information concerning any violation of any provision of this division or of any regulation or order issued under this division.
  (b) For purposes of any investigation, examination, or other proceeding under this division, the commissioner may administer oaths and affirmations, subpoena witnesses, compel their attendance, take evidence, and require the production of any books, papers, correspondence, memoranda, agreements, or other documents or records which the commissioner deems relevant or material to the inquiry.
  (c) In case of contumacy by, or refusal to obey a subpoena issued to, any person, the superior court, upon application by the commissioner, may issue to such person an order requiring him to appear before the commissioner, there to produce documentary evidence, if so ordered, or to give evidence touching the matter under investigation or in question. Failure to obey such order of the court may be punished by the court as a contempt.

The commissioner may provide information relating to a licensee to the Small Business Administration or to any governmental agency which licenses or regulates the licensee or any parent or subsidiary of the licensee.

Notwithstanding the fact that the commissioner permits any licensee, any affiliate of such licensee, or any governmental agency to inspect or make copies of any record relating to such licensee or to any director, officer, employee, or affiliate of such licensee or that the commissioner provides any such record, or a copy thereof, to any such person, any provision of Section 6254 or 6255 of the Government Code which would, but for such fact, apply to such record, shall continue to apply to such record.

The commissioner may refer such evidence as is available concerning any violation of this division or of any regulation or order issued under this division which constitutes a crime to the district attorney of the county in which such violation occurred, who may, with or without such a reference, institute appropriate criminal proceedings.

Before any applicant for a license is issued a license, such applicant and each parent and subsidiary of such applicant shall file, and each person who becomes a parent or subsidiary of a licensee shall, not less than 30 days after becoming a parent or subsidiary of such licensee, file, with the commissioner, in such form as the commissioner may by regulation or order require, an irrevocable consent appointing the commissioner and his or her successor from time to time in office to be such person's attorney to receive service of any lawful process in any noncriminal judicial or administrative proceeding against such person, or his or her successor, executor, or administrator, which arises under this division or under any regulation or order issued under this division after such consent has been filed, with the same force and validity as if served personally on such person. Service may be made by leaving a copy of the process at any office of the commissioner, but such service is not effective unless (a) the party making such service, who may be the commissioner, forthwith sends notice of such service and a copy of the process by registered or certified mail to the party served at his or her last address on file with the commissioner, and (b) an affidavit of compliance with this section by the party making service is filed in the case on or before the return date, if any, or within such further time as the court, in the case of a judicial proceeding, or the administrative agency, in the case of an administrative proceeding, allows.

Whenever any person, including any nonresident of this state, engages in conduct prohibited or made actionable by this division or by any regulation or order issued under this division, whether or not the person has filed a consent to service of process under Section 31113, and if personal jurisdiction over the person cannot otherwise be obtained in this state, that conduct shall be considered equivalent to the person's appointment of the commissioner and the commissioner's successor from time to time in office to be the person's attorney to receive service of any lawful process in any noncriminal judicial or administrative proceeding against him or her, or his or her successor, executor, or administrator, which grows out of that conduct and which is brought under this division or under any regulation or order issued under this division, with the same force and validity as if served on him or her personally. Service may be made by leaving a copy of the process in any office of the commissioner, but the service is not effective unless (a) the party making the service, who may be the commissioner, forthwith sends notice of the service and a copy of the process by registered or certified mail to the party served at his or her last known address or takes other steps which are reasonably calculated to give actual notice, and (b) an affidavit of compliance with this section by the party making service is filed in the case on or before the return date, if any, or within such further time as the court, in the case of a judicial proceeding, or the administrative agency, in the case of an administrative proceeding, allows.

(a) Fees shall be paid to, and collected by, the commissioner, as follows:
  (1) The fee for filing with the commissioner an application for a license shall be two thousand dollars ($2,000).
  (2) The fee for filing with the commissioner an application for approval to acquire control of a licensee shall be one thousand dollars ($1,000).
  (3) The fee for filing with the commissioner an application for approval for a licensee to merge with another corporation; an application for approval for a licensee to purchase all or substantially all of the business of another person, or an application for approval for a licensee to sell all or substantially all of its business or of the business of any of its offices to another licensee, shall be one thousand dollars ($1,000). However, whenever two or more applications relating to the same merger, purchase, or sale are filed with the commissioner, the fee for filing each application shall be the quotient determined by dividing one thousand dollars ($1,000) by the number of the applications.
  (4) The fee for filing with the commissioner an application for approval to relocate the head office of a licensee shall be one hundred dollars ($100).
  (5) The fee for issuing a license shall be twenty-five dollars ($25).
  (6) Each person that is licensed under this division on June 1 of any year shall pay, on or before the following July 1, a fee of two thousand dollars ($2,000).
  (7) Whenever the commissioner examines any licensee or any affiliate of a licensee, that licensee shall pay, within 10 days after receipt of a statement from the commissioner, a fee of seventy-five dollars ($75) per hour for each examiner engaged in the examination plus, in case it is necessary for any examiner engaged in the examination to travel outside this state, the travel expenses of the examiner.
  (b) (1) Each fee for filing an application with the commissioner shall be paid at the time when the application is filed with the commissioner.
  (2) No fee for filing an application with the commissioner shall be refundable, regardless of whether the application is approved, denied, withdrawn, or abandoned.