(1) A mortgage lender that makes mortgage loans on real estate in this state shall transact business from a principal place of business. Each principal place of business and each branch office shall be operated under the full charge, control, and supervision of the licensee pursuant to this part.

(2) A license issued under this part is not transferable or assignable.

(3) A mortgage lender shall report, on a form prescribed by rule of the commission, any change in the information contained in any initial application form, or any amendment thereto, within 30 days after the change is effective.

(4) A mortgage lender shall report any changes in the principal loan originator, any addition or subtraction of a control person, or any change in the form of business organization by written amendment in such form and at such time that the commission specifies by rule. Any addition of a control person who has not previously filed a Uniform Mortgage Biographical Statement & Consent Form, MU2, or has not previously complied with the fingerprinting and credit report requirements of s. 494.00611 is subject to the provisions of this section. If, after the addition of a control person, the office determines that the licensee does not continue to meet licensure requirements, the office may bring administrative action in accordance with s. 494.00255 to enforce this section.

(5) Each mortgage lender shall report in a form prescribed by rule of the commission any indictment, information, charge, conviction, or plea of guilty or nolo contendere, regardless of adjudication, to any felony or any crime or administrative violation that involves fraud, dishonesty, breach of trust, money laundering, or any other act of moral turpitude, in any jurisdiction, by the licensee or any principal officer, director, or ultimate equitable owner of 10 percent or more of the licensed corporation, within 30 business days after the indictment, information, charge, conviction, or final administrative action.

(6) Each mortgage lender shall report any action in bankruptcy, voluntary or involuntary, to the office, within 30 business days after the action is instituted.

(7) Each mortgage lender shall designate a registered agent in this state for service of process.

(8) A mortgage lender may close loans in its own name but may not service the loan for more than 6 months unless the lender has a servicing endorsement. Only a mortgage lender who continuously maintains a net worth of at least $250,000 may obtain a servicing endorsement.

(9) A mortgage lender must report to the office the failure to meet the applicable net worth requirements of s. 494.00611 within 2 days after the mortgage lender’s knowledge of such failure or after the mortgage lender should have known of such failure.

(10) Each mortgage lender shall submit to the registry reports of condition which are in a form and which contain such information as the registry may require. The commission may adopt rules prescribing the time by which a mortgage lender must file a report of condition. For purposes of this section, the report of condition is synonymous with the registry’s Mortgage Call Report.

History.—ss. 38, 50, ch. 91-245; s. 4, ch. 91-429; ss. 23, 24, ch. 99-213; s. 9, ch. 2001-228; s. 542, ch. 2003-261; s. 20, ch. 2006-213; s. 10, ch. 2007-182; s. 51, ch. 2009-241; s. 4, ch. 2010-67; s. 10, ch. 2011-71; s. 49, ch. 2014-91.