(a) As used in this section and sections 36a-671a to 36a-671f, inclusive:

(1) “Advertise” or “advertising” has the same meaning as provided in section 36a-485.

(2) “Control person” has the same meaning as provided in section 36a-485.

(3) “Debt negotiation” means, for or with the expectation of a fee, commission or other valuable consideration, assisting a debtor in negotiating or attempting to negotiate on behalf of a debtor the terms of a debtor’s obligations with one or more mortgagees or creditors of the debtor, including the negotiation of short sales of residential property or foreclosure rescue services.

(4) “Debtor” means any individual who has incurred indebtedness or owes a debt for personal, family or household purposes.

(5) “Foreclosure rescue services” means services related to or promising assistance in connection with (A) avoiding or delaying actual or anticipated foreclosure proceedings concerning residential property, or (B) curing or otherwise addressing a default or failure to timely pay with respect to a mortgage loan secured by residential property, and includes, but is not limited to, the offer, arrangement or placement of a mortgage loan secured by residential property or other extension of credit when those services are advertised, offered or promoted in the context of foreclosure related services.

(6) “Mortgagee” means the original lender under a mortgage loan secured by residential property or its agents, successors or assigns.

(7) “Mortgagor” means a debtor who is an owner of residential property, including, but not limited to, a single-family unit in a common interest community, who is also the borrower under a mortgage encumbering such residential property.

(8) “Residential property” means a one-to-four family owner-occupied real property.

(9) “Short sale” means the sale of residential property by a mortgagor for an amount less than the outstanding balance owed on the loan secured by such property where, prior to the sale, the mortgagee or an assignee of the mortgagee agrees to accept less than the outstanding loan balance in full or partial satisfaction of the mortgage debt and the proceeds of the sale are paid to the mortgagee or an assignee of the mortgagee.

(b) No person shall engage or offer to engage in debt negotiation in this state without a license issued under this section for each location where debt negotiation will be conducted. Any person desiring to obtain such a license shall file with the commissioner an application under oath, setting forth such information as the commissioner may require. Each applicant for a license and each licensee shall notify the commissioner of any change in the applicant’s business from that stated in the application for the license. A person is engaging in debt negotiation in this state if such person: (1) Has a place of business located within this state; (2) has a place of business located outside of this state and the debtor is a resident of this state who negotiates or agrees to the terms of the services in person, by mail, by telephone or via the Internet; or (3) has its place of business located outside of this state and the services concern a debt that is secured by property located within this state.

(c) An application for an original or renewal debt negotiation license shall be in writing on a form provided by the commissioner and shall include (1) the history of criminal convictions of the (A) applicant, (B) partners, if the applicant is a partnership, (C) members, if the applicant is a limited liability company or association, or (D) officers, directors and principal employees, if the applicant is a corporation; and (2) sufficient information pertaining to the history of criminal convictions, in a form acceptable to the commissioner, on such applicant, partners, members, officers, directors and principal employees as the commissioner deems necessary to make the findings under subsection (d) of this section. The commissioner, in accordance with section 29-17a, may conduct a state and national criminal history records check of the applicant and of each partner, member, officer, director and principal employee of the applicant. The commissioner may deem an application for a debt negotiation license abandoned if the applicant fails to respond to any request for information required under sections 36a-671 to 36a-671e, inclusive, or any regulations adopted pursuant to said sections 36a-671 to 36a-671e, inclusive. The commissioner shall notify the applicant, in writing, that if the applicant fails to submit such information not later than sixty days after the date on which such request for information was made, the application shall be deemed abandoned. An application filing fee paid prior to the date an application is deemed abandoned pursuant to this subsection shall not be refunded. Abandonment of an application pursuant to this subsection shall not preclude the applicant from submitting a new application for a license under sections 36a-671 to 36a-671e, inclusive.

(d) If the commissioner finds, upon the filing of an application for a debt negotiation license, that: (1) The financial responsibility, character, reputation, integrity and general fitness of the (A) applicant, (B) partners thereof, if the applicant is a partnership, (C) members, if the applicant is a limited liability company or association, and (D) officers, directors and principal employees, if the applicant is a corporation, are such as to warrant belief that the business will be operated soundly and efficiently, in the public interest and consistent with the purposes of sections 36a-671 to 36a-671f, inclusive; and (2) the applicant is solvent and no proceeding in bankruptcy, receivership or assignment for the benefit of creditors has been commenced against the applicant, the commissioner may thereupon issue the applicant a debt negotiation license. Such debt negotiation license shall not be transferable. Any change of location of a licensee shall require prior written notice to the commissioner. No licensee shall use any name unless such name has been approved by the commissioner. If the commissioner fails to make such findings, the commissioner shall not issue a license and shall notify the applicant of the reasons for such denial. The commissioner may deny an application if the commissioner finds that the applicant or any partner, member, officer, director or principal employee of the applicant has been convicted of any misdemeanor involving any aspect of the debt negotiation business or any felony. Any denial of an application by the commissioner shall, when applicable, be subject to the provisions of section 46a-80. Withdrawal of an application for a license shall become effective upon receipt by the commissioner of a notice of intent to withdraw such application. The commissioner may deny a license up to the date one year after the effective date of withdrawal.

(e) Each applicant for an original or renewal debt negotiation license shall, at the time of making such application, pay to the commissioner an application fee of one thousand six hundred dollars, provided, if such application is filed not earlier than one year before the date such license will expire, such person shall pay a license fee of eight hundred dollars. Each such license shall expire at the close of business on September thirtieth of the odd-numbered year following its issuance unless such license is renewed. Each licensee shall, on or before September first of the year in which the license expires, file such renewal application as the commissioner may require. Whenever an application for a license is filed under this section by any person who was a licensee under this section and whose license expired less than sixty days prior to the date such application was filed, such application shall be accompanied by a one-hundred-dollar processing fee in addition to the application fee.

(f) If the commissioner determines that a check filed with the commissioner to pay an application fee has been dishonored, the commissioner shall automatically suspend the license or a renewal license that has been issued but is not yet effective. The commissioner shall give the licensee notice of the automatic suspension pending proceedings for revocation or refusal to renew and an opportunity for a hearing on such actions in accordance with section 36a-51.

(g) No abatement of the license fee shall be made if the license is surrendered, revoked or suspended prior to the expiration of the period for which it was issued. The fee required by subsection (e) of this section shall be nonrefundable.

(P.A. 09-208, S. 29; 09-209, S. 41; P.A. 11-216, S. 40; P.A. 14-7, S. 9; P.A. 17-233, S. 24.)

History: P.A. 09-209 redefined “mortgagor” in Subsec. (a)(4) and made a technical change in Subsec. (b)(3); P.A. 11-216 amended Subsec. (b) to delete references to contract and eliminate requirement re debtor being physically present in this state, amended Subsec. (c) to delete provision re ten-year period re history of criminal convictions, add provision authorizing commissioner to conduct a state and criminal history records check of applicant and each partner, member, officer, director and principal employee of applicant and add provisions re abandonment of application, and amended Subsec. (d) to delete provision re ten-year period re misdemeanor and felony convictions; P.A. 14-7 replaced references to Sec. 36a-671d with references to Sec. 36a-671e in Subsecs. (a), (c) and (d), effective May 8, 2014; P.A. 17-233 amended Subsec. (a) to replace “36a-671e” with “36a-671f”, add new Subdiv. (1) defining “advertise” or “advertising”, add new Subdiv. (2) defining “control person”, redesignate existing Subdivs. (1) and (2) as Subdivs. (3) and (4), add new Subdiv. (5) defining “foreclosure rescue services”, redesignate existing Subdivs. (3) and (4) as Subdivs. (6) and (7), add new Subdiv. (8) defining “residential property”, redesignate existing Subdiv. (5) as Subdiv. (9), delete former Subdivs. (6) and (7), and make technical changes, and amended Subsec. (d)(1)(D) to replace “36a-671e” with “36a-671f”.