(a) The commissioner may issue a stop order denying effectiveness to, or suspending or revoking the effectiveness of, any business opportunity registration if the commissioner finds that: (1) Such order is in the public interest; (2) such order is necessary for the protection of purchaser-investors or prospective purchaser-investors; (3) the registration of the business opportunity is incomplete in any material respect but is not abandoned pursuant to subsection (e) of this section or contains any statement which was, in the light of the circumstances under which it was made, false or misleading with respect to any material fact; (4) any provision of sections 36b-60 to 36b-80, inclusive, or any regulation, order or condition lawfully adopted, issued or imposed under said sections has been wilfully violated by any person; (5) the seller, or any partner, officer or director, any person occupying a similar status or performing similar functions, or any person directly or indirectly controlling the seller or charged with responsibility for the seller's business activities (A) has, at any time during the previous ten fiscal years, been convicted of a felony or pleaded nolo contendere to a felony charge or a misdemeanor if such misdemeanor involved fraud, including, but not limited to, a violation of any business opportunity law, franchise law, securities law or unfair or deceptive practices law, embezzlement, fraudulent conversion, misappropriation of property or restraint of trade, provided any denial, suspension or revocation hereunder shall be in accordance with the provisions of section 46a-80; (B) is permanently or temporarily enjoined by any court of competent jurisdiction from engaging in or continuing any conduct or practice involving business opportunity or securities activities, the seller-purchaser-investor relationship or fraudulent conduct, including, but not limited to, a violation of any business opportunity law, franchise law, securities law or unfair or deceptive practices law, embezzlement, fraudulent conversion, misappropriation of property or restraint of trade; (C) is the subject of a cease and desist order, consent order or order imposing fines entered by the commissioner within the past ten years and involving a violation of this chapter or chapter 672a; or (D) is the subject of any state or federal agency order or any securities or commodities self-regulatory organization sanction entered within the past ten years and involving (i) business opportunity activities or the seller-purchaser-investor relationship, or (ii) fraud, including, but not limited to, a violation of any business opportunity law, franchise law, securities law or unfair or deceptive practices law, embezzlement, fraudulent conversion, misappropriation of property or restraint of trade; (6) the seller's enterprise or method of business, or that of the business opportunity, includes or would include activities that are illegal where performed; (7) the business opportunity or the offering of the business opportunity has worked or tended to work a fraud upon purchaser-investors or would so operate; or (8) the seller's literature or advertising is misleading, incorrect, incomplete or deceptive.

(b) The commissioner may by order summarily postpone or suspend the effectiveness of the registration of a business opportunity pending final determination of any proceeding under this section. Upon the entry of such order, said commissioner shall promptly notify the registrant or applicant of the business opportunity that it has been entered and of the reasons for such entry and that within fifteen days after receipt by said commissioner of a written request the matter will be set down for a hearing. If no hearing is requested and none is ordered by the commissioner, such order will remain in effect until modified or vacated by said commissioner. If a hearing is requested, said commissioner may modify or vacate such order or extend it until final determination.

(c) No stop order may be entered under this section except as provided in subsection (b) of this section without: (1) Appropriate prior notice to the applicant or registrant of a business opportunity; (2) opportunity for a hearing; and (3) the issuance of written findings of fact and conclusions of law by the commissioner, provided, if the commissioner has previously entered a stop order under this section, the commissioner, in the commissioner's discretion, may deny any subsequent application for registration of such business opportunity without such notice, opportunity for a hearing and written findings of fact and conclusions of law, if the commissioner makes the findings in subsection (a) of this section and notifies the seller in writing of such denial.

(d) The commissioner may vacate or modify a stop order if he finds that the conditions which prompted its entry have changed or that it is otherwise in the public interest to do so.

(e) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, the commissioner may deem an application for registration of any business opportunity to be abandoned if the applicant fails to respond to any request for information required under sections 36b-60 to 36b-80, inclusive, or any regulations adopted pursuant to said sections. The commissioner shall notify the applicant in writing that if such information is not submitted within sixty days of such written notification, the application shall be deemed abandoned. Any registration 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 registration under this chapter. The hearing requirement in subsection (c) of this section shall not apply to abandonment pursuant to this subsection.

(P.A. 79-458, S. 9, 19; P.A. 84-67, S. 8; P.A. 97-22, S. 13; P.A. 98-161; P.A. 09-160, S. 6.)

History: P.A. 84-67 amended Subsec. (a) to delete the requirement that a registration must be incomplete as of its effective date or earlier to allow the commissioner to issue a stop order; Sec. 36-511 transferred to Sec. 36b-68 in 1995; P.A. 97-22 made a technical change in Subsec. (a); P.A. 98-161 added new Subsec. (e) re abandoned registration applications and made conforming change in Subsec. (a); P.A. 09-160 amended Subsec. (a) by adding Subdivs. (5) to (8) re additional grounds for issuance of stop order and making technical changes, and amended Subsec. (c) by adding provision permitting commissioner to deny subsequent application for registration without providing notice, opportunity for hearing and written findings of fact and conclusions of law if certain conditions are met.

Annotation to former section 36-511:

Cited. 215 C. 277.