(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.
(Amended by Stats. 2006, Ch. 763, Sec. 6. Effective January 1, 2007. Inoperative July 1, 2018. Repealed as of January 1, 2019, pursuant to Section 5340.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018