(A) An application for a certificate of registration as a mortgage broker shall be in writing, under oath, and in the form prescribed by the superintendent of financial institutions. The application shall be accompanied by a nonrefundable application fee of five hundred dollars for each location of an office to be maintained by the applicant in accordance with division (A) of section 1322.02 of the Revised Code and any additional fee required by the nationwide mortgage licensing system and registry. The application shall provide all of the following:
(1) The location or locations where the business is to be transacted and whether any location is a residence. If any location where the business is to be transacted is a residence, the superintendent may require that the application be accompanied by a copy of a zoning permit authorizing the use of the residence for commercial purposes, or by a written opinion or other document issued by the county or political subdivision where the residence is located certifying that the use of the residence to transact business as a mortgage broker is not prohibited by the county or political subdivision.
(2)
(a) In the case of a sole proprietor, the name and address of the sole proprietor;
(b) In the case of a partnership, the name and address of each partner;
(c) In the case of a corporation, the name and address of each shareholder owning five per cent or more of the corporation;
(d) In the case of any other entity, the name and address of any person that owns five per cent or more of the entity that will transact business as a mortgage broker.
(3) Each applicant shall designate an employee or owner of the applicant as the applicant's operations manager. While acting as the operations manager, the employee or owner shall be licensed as a loan originator under sections 1322.01 to 1322.12 of the Revised Code and shall not be employed by any other mortgage broker.
(4) Evidence that the person designated on the application pursuant to division (A)(3) of this section possesses at least three years of experience in the residential mortgage and lending field, which experience may include employment with or as a mortgage broker or with a depository institution, mortgage lending institution, or other lending institution, or possesses at least three years of other experience related specifically to the business of residential mortgage loans that the superintendent determines meets the requirements of division (A)(4) of this section;
(5) Evidence that the person designated on the application pursuant to division (A)(3) of this section has successfully completed the pre-licensing instruction requirements set forth in section 1322.031 of the Revised Code;
(6) Evidence of compliance with the surety bond requirements of section 1322.05 of the Revised Code and with sections 1322.01 to 1322.12 of the Revised Code;
(7) In the case of a foreign business entity, evidence that it maintains a license or registration pursuant to Chapter 1703., 1705., 1775., 1776., 1777., 1782., or 1783. of the Revised Code to transact business in this state;
(8) Evidence that the applicant's operations manager has successfully completed the written test required by section 1322.051 of the Revised Code;
(9) Any further information that the superintendent requires.
(B) Upon the filing of the application and payment of the nonrefundable application fee and any fee required by the nationwide mortgage licensing system and registry, the superintendent of financial institutions shall investigate the applicant, and any individual whose identity is required to be disclosed in the application, as set forth in division (B) of this section.
(1)
(a) Notwithstanding division (K) of section 121.08 of the Revised Code, the superintendent shall obtain a criminal history records check and, as part of that records check, request that criminal record information from the federal bureau of investigation be obtained. To fulfill this requirement, the superintendent shall do either of the following:
(i) Request the superintendent of the bureau of criminal identification and investigation, or a vendor approved by the bureau, to conduct a criminal records check based on the applicant's fingerprints or, if the fingerprints are unreadable, based on the applicant's social security number, in accordance with division (A)(12) of section 109.572 of the Revised Code;
(ii) Authorize the nationwide mortgage licensing system and registry to request a criminal history background check.
(b) Any fee required under division (C)(3) of section 109.572 of the Revised Code or by the nationwide mortgage licensing system and registry shall be paid by the applicant.
(2) The superintendent shall conduct a civil records check.
(3) If, in order to issue a certificate of registration to an applicant, additional investigation by the superintendent outside this state is necessary, the superintendent may require the applicant to advance sufficient funds to pay the actual expenses of the investigation, if it appears that these expenses will exceed five hundred dollars. The superintendent shall provide the applicant with an itemized statement of the actual expenses that the applicant is required to pay.
(C) The superintendent shall pay all funds advanced and application and renewal fees and penalties the superintendent receives pursuant to this section and section 1322.04 of the Revised Code to the treasurer of state to the credit of the consumer finance fund created in section 1321.21 of the Revised Code.
(D) If an application for a mortgage broker certificate of registration does not contain all of the information required under division (A) of this section, and if that information is not submitted to the superintendent or to the nationwide mortgage licensing system and registry within ninety days after the superintendent or the nationwide mortgage licensing system and registry requests the information in writing, including by electronic transmission or facsimile, the superintendent may consider the application withdrawn.
(E) A mortgage broker certificate of registration and the authority granted under that certificate is not transferable or assignable and cannot be franchised by contract or any other means.
(F) The registration requirements of this chapter apply to any person acting as a mortgage broker, and no person is exempt from the requirements of this chapter on the basis of prior work or employment as a mortgage broker.
(G) The superintendent may establish relationships or enter into contracts with the nationwide mortgage licensing system and registry, or any entities designated by it, to collect and maintain records and process transaction fees or other fees related to mortgage broker certificates of registration or the persons associated with a mortgage broker.
Amended by 130th General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 483, §101.01, eff. 9/15/2014.
Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.127, HB 487, §101.01, eff. 1/1/2013.
Amended by 128th General AssemblyFile No.17, SB 124, §1, eff. 12/28/2009.
Amended by 128th General AssemblyFile No.9, HB 1, §101.01, eff. 10/16/2009.
Effective Date: 05-02-2002; 01-01-2007; 2006 SB223 03-23-2007; 2008 HB332 08-06-2008
Related Legislative Provision: See 128th General AssemblyFile No.17, SB 124, §5
See 128th General AssemblyFile No.9, HB 1, §745.60.
Section: Previous 1322.01 1322.02 1322.021 1322.022 1322.023 1322.024 1322.025 1322.03 1322.031 1322.04 1322.041 1322.042 1322.043 1322.05 1322.051 NextLast modified: October 10, 2016