A. The director shall exercise general supervision and control over mortgage loan originators doing business in New Mexico.

B. In addition to the other duties imposed on the director by law, the director shall make reasonable rules necessary for the implementation of the New Mexico Mortgage Loan Originator Licensing Act; provided that promulgated rules shall be subject to judicial review in the manner set forth in Section 12-8-8 NMSA 1978. In addition to any authority allowed pursuant to the New Mexico Mortgage Loan Originator Licensing Act, the director may conduct investigations and examinations as follows:

(1) for the purposes of initial licensing, license renewal, license suspension, license revocation or termination or general or specific inquiry or investigation to determine compliance with the New Mexico Mortgage Loan Originator Licensing Act, the director shall have access to and may receive and use any books, accounts, records, files, documents, information or evidence, including:

(a) criminal, civil and administrative history information, including nonconviction data as specified in the Arrest Record Information Act [Chapter 29, Article 10 NMSA 1978];

(b) personal history and experience information, including independent credit reports obtained from a consumer reporting agency described in Section 603(p) of the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act; and

(c) any other documents, information or evidence the director deems relevant to the inquiry or investigation regardless of the location, possession, control or custody of such documents, information or evidence;

(2) for the purposes of investigating violations or complaints arising pursuant to the New Mexico Mortgage Loan Originator Licensing Act, or for the purposes of examination, the director may review, investigate or examine any individual subject to that act as often as necessary in order to carry out the purposes of that act. The director may direct, subpoena or order the attendance of and examine under oath all persons whose testimony may be required about the loans or the business or subject matter of any such examination or investigation and may direct, subpoena or order such persons to produce books, accounts, records, files and any other documents the director deems relevant to the inquiry;

(3) each mortgage loan originator shall make available to the director upon request the books and records relating to the operations of the mortgage loan originator. The director shall have access to the books and records and interview the officers, principals, mortgage loan originators, employees, independent contractors and agents of the mortgage loan originator concerning their business;

(4) each mortgage loan originator shall make or compile reports or prepare other information as directed by the director in order to carry out the purposes of this section, including:

(a) accounting compilations;

(b) information lists and data concerning loan transactions in a format prescribed by the director; and

(c) such other information deemed by the director to be necessary to carry out the purposes of this section;

(5) in making any examination or investigation authorized by the New Mexico Mortgage Loan Originator Licensing Act, the director may control access to any documents and records of the individual under examination or investigation. The director may take possession of the documents and records or place a person in exclusive charge of the documents and records in the place where they are usually kept. During the period of control, no individual or person shall remove or attempt to remove any of the documents and records except pursuant to a court order or with the consent of the director. Unless the director has reasonable grounds to believe the documents or records of the licensed mortgage loan originator have been, or are at risk of being, altered or destroyed for purposes of concealing a violation of the New Mexico Mortgage Loan Originator Licensing Act, the licensed mortgage loan originator or owner of the documents and records shall have access to the documents or records as necessary to conduct its ordinary business affairs;

(6) in order to carry out the purposes of this section, the director may:

(a) retain attorneys, accountants or other professionals and specialists as examiners, auditors or investigators to conduct or assist in the conduct of examinations or investigations;

(b) enter into agreements or relationships with other government officials or regulatory associations in order to improve efficiencies and reduce regulatory burden by sharing resources, standardized or uniform methods or procedures and documents, records, information or evidence obtained pursuant to this section;

(c) use, hire, contract or employ public or privately available analytical systems, methods or software to examine or investigate the mortgage loan originator;

(d) accept and rely on examination or investigation reports made by other government officials, within or without this state; and

(e) accept audit reports made by an independent certified public accountant for the mortgage loan originator in the course of that part of the examination covering the same general subject matter as the audit and may incorporate the audit report in the report of the examination, report of investigation or other writing of the director;

(7) the authority of this section shall remain in effect whether such a licensed mortgage loan originator or individual subject to the New Mexico Mortgage Loan Originator Licensing Act acts or claims to act pursuant to any licensing or registration law of New Mexico or claims to act without such authority;

(8) no licensed mortgage loan originator or individual who is the subject an of investigation or examination pursuant to this section shall knowingly withhold, abstract, remove, mutilate, destroy or secrete any books, records, computer records or other information; and

(9) applications for a license or a license renewal, and all papers, documents, reports and other written instruments filed with the director pursuant to the New Mexico Mortgage Loan Originator Licensing Act, are public documents and open to public inspection, except for files of ongoing examinations and investigations relating to violations of that act, which investigations do not culminate, or have not yet culminated, in administrative, civil or criminal action.

History: Laws 2009, ch. 122, § 19.

Effective dates. — Laws 2009, ch. 122, § 61 made the provisions of Laws 2009, ch. 122, § 19 effective July 31, 2009.

Severability. — Laws 2009, ch. 122, § 60 provided that if any part or application of this act is held invalid, the remainder or its application to other situations or persons shall not be affected.