5285
. (a) The commission may suspend the permit of any household
goods carrier after notice and an opportunity to be heard, if the
carrier knowingly and willfully files a false report that understates
revenues and fees.
(b) The commission may amend or revoke, in whole or in part, the
permit of any household goods carrier, upon application of the
permitholder or may suspend, change, or revoke, in whole or in part,
such a permit, upon complaint or on the commission's own initiative,
after notice and opportunity to be heard for providing false or
misleading information on an application for a permit or for failure
to comply with this chapter or with any order, rule, or regulation of
the commission or with any term, condition, or limitation of the
permit. A household goods carrier that requests a hearing within 30
days after the date of receiving the notice and opportunity to be
heard shall be granted a hearing. The commission may suspend the
right to operate under any household goods carrier permit, upon
reasonable notice of not less than 15 days to the holder without
hearing or other proceedings, for failure to comply, and until
compliance, with Section 5161 or with any order, rule, or regulation
of the commission.
(c) As an alternative to the cancellation, revocation, or
suspension of an operating permit or permits, the commission may
impose upon the holder of the permit or permits a fine of not more
than thirty thousand dollars ($30,000). All fines collected shall be
deposited at least once each month in the State Treasury to the
credit of the General Fund.
(d) The commission may cancel, suspend, or revoke the permit of
any carrier upon the conviction of the carrier of any misdemeanor
under this chapter while holding operating authority issued by the
commission, or the conviction of the carrier or any of its officers
of a felony while holding operating authority issued by the
commission, limited to robbery, burglary, any form of theft, any form
of fraud, extortion, embezzlement, money laundering, forgery, false
statements, an attempt to commit any of the offenses described in
this subdivision, aiding and abetting or conspiring to commit any of
the offenses described in this subdivision, or intentional dishonesty
for personal gain.
(e) (1) As used in this subdivision, "convicted of a prescribed
felony" means a plea or verdict of guilty or a conviction following a
plea of nolo contendere for any felony described in subdivision (d),
or for an attempt to commit, aiding and abetting, or conspiring to
commit any felony described in subdivision (d), that is committed in
connection with, or arising from, a transaction for the
transportation of used household goods or personal effects.
(2) If a carrier is convicted of a prescribed felony, the permit
of the carrier shall be deemed automatically revoked.
(3) If an officer, director, or managing agent of the carrier is
convicted of a prescribed felony, the permit of the carrier shall be
deemed automatically suspended for a period of five years. If the
commission determines that the carrier did not have knowledge of,
participate in, direct, aid and abet, authorize, or ratify the
conduct of the person convicted and did not in any manner benefit
from that conduct, the commission may reinstate the permit on terms
the commission determines to be appropriate in the interest of
justice and to ensure the protection of the public. The commission
may also extend the suspension or revoke the permit as provided in
subdivision (d).
(4) If an officer, director, managing agent, or employee of the
carrier is convicted of a prescribed felony, the person may not be an
officer, director, managing agent, or employee or serve in any other
capacity with a carrier.
(5) It is a violation of this chapter for a carrier that knows or
should know that a person has been convicted of a prescribed felony
to hire, retain, or otherwise allow that person to serve as an
officer, director, managing agent, or employee or in any other
capacity with the carrier.