(a) Fidelity Corporation shall deny the application for a certificate or revoke the certificate of any person, upon any of the following grounds:
(1) The application contains a material misrepresentation of fact or fails to disclose a material fact so as to render the application false or misleading, or if any fact or condition exists which, if it had existed at the time of the original application for a certificate, reasonably would have warranted Fidelity Corporation to refuse originally to issue that certificate.
(2) That the person has been convicted of a crime or offense, whether a felony, an offense punishable as a felony, or a misdemeanor, that involved dishonesty, fraud, deceit, embezzlement, fraudulent conversion, misappropriation of property, or any other crime reasonably related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of a person engaged in business in accordance with this division. A conviction within the meaning of this section is a plea or verdict of guilty or a conviction following a plea of nolo contendere. A conviction also includes an order granting probation and suspending the imposition of sentence, notwithstanding a subsequent order pursuant to Section 1203.4 or 1203.4a of the Penal Code permitting the person to withdraw his or her plea of guilty and to enter a plea of not guilty, or setting aside the verdict of guilty, or dismissing the accusation, information, or indictment. If, however, the conviction is more than 10 years old, or the conviction has been expunged, or the person has obtained a certificate of rehabilitation or relief under Section 1203.4 or 1203.4a of the Penal Code, or if the conviction was an infraction, then the person may have a Fidelity Corporation certificate upon showing by clear and convincing proof to a reasonable certainty that the conviction is no longer reasonably related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of a person engaged in business in accordance with this division or that person’s employment with a member.
(3) That the person has been held liable in a civil action by final judgment of any court if the judgment involved dishonesty, fraud, deceit, embezzlement, fraudulent conversion, or misappropriation of property or the person has been ordered to make restitution to a victim in any criminal case involving a crime or offense set forth in paragraph (2). The person may have a Fidelity Corporation certificate upon showing by clear and convincing proof to a reasonable certainty that the judgment or restitution order is no longer reasonably related to the qualifications, functions, or duties of a person engaged in business in accordance with this division or that person’s employment with a member.
(4) That the person has (A) committed or caused to be committed an act which caused any member to suffer a loss; (B) committed or caused to be committed or colluded with any other person committing any act which caused a loss, for which Fidelity Corporation or the insurer on any insurance policy or fidelity bond purchased by Fidelity Corporation, or both, to become liable to indemnify any member; or (C) committed or caused to be committed an act of dishonesty, fraud, deceit, embezzlement, fraudulent conversion, or misappropriation of property, to the material damage of a member or for which the member has been held liable to any third party, by final judgment.
(5) That the person has been barred from employment by final order of the commissioner pursuant to Section 17423.
(6) That the person has been deemed not qualified to serve in any capacity as a director or officer or in any other position involving management duties with a financial institution, pursuant to Division 1.8 (commencing with Section 4990).
(7) That the person has been denied coverage or reinstatement by any insurer under any fidelity bond or crime policy, unless a decision of reinstatement of coverage has been made after that denial. A person who obtained a decision of reinstatement of coverage prior to the effective date of this section may have a Fidelity Corporation certificate notwithstanding paragraphs (2) and (3), unless any other ground for denial or revocation applies to that person.
(b) Fidelity Corporation shall suspend the certificate of any person upon either of the following grounds:
(1) That the person has been censured or suspended from any position of employment by final order of the commissioner. The certificate suspension shall be for a term concurrent with the final order of the commissioner.
(2) That the person has been barred from any position of employment or management or control of any escrow agent, for a term of less than permanent, by final order of the commissioner. The certificate suspension shall be for a term concurrent with the final order of the commissioner.
(c) Fidelity Corporation may suspend the certificate of any person under either of the following grounds:
(1) That there is an action commenced by the commissioner to either suspend or bar that person, under Section 17423.
(2) That any member with whom the person was employed has given a proof of loss or a notice of an occurrence which may give rise to a claim for a loss of trust obligations either of which identifies the person as the person responsible for the loss or as a person acting in collusion with the person causing the loss.
(d) Upon denial of an application for, or upon suspension or revocation of the certificate of any person, Fidelity Corporation shall provide written notice to the member with whom that person is employed of the decision, pending any appeal therefrom which might be made. Thereafter, the member shall not allow that person to have access to money or negotiable instruments or securities belonging to or in the possession of the escrow agent, or to draw checks upon the escrow agent or the trust accounts of the escrow agent, but that person may otherwise continue in the performance and discharge of other duties of an employee. Fidelity Corporation shall notify the person in writing of the decision to deny, suspend, or revoke the certificate and of the person’s right of appeal, together with the notice of appeal. The grounds and basis for the decision shall be stated in the notice thereof. All notices may be served either personally or by mail, properly addressed to the address of record for the member and the person.
(e) Any person whose application for a certificate has been denied, or whose certificate has been suspended or revoked, may appeal the decision, as provided in Section 17331.3. While that appeal is pending, the person may not have access to money or negotiable instruments or securities belonging to or in the possession of the escrow agent, or to draw checks upon the escrow agent or the trust accounts of the escrow agent, but that person may otherwise continue in the performance and discharge of other duties of an employee pending final decision of that person’s appeal. Failure to remove the person whose application has been denied, or whose certificate has been suspended or revoked, as a signer on the trust accounts may be subject to action by the commissioner as provided for in this division and shall be subject to penalties as set forth in Section 17331.1.
(f) Upon expiration of the time for an appeal, or upon conclusion of the appeal, the decision to deny an application for or to suspend or revoke the certificate of any person shall become final. Fidelity Corporation shall give written notice to the member and to the person of the final decision within 10 days. Thereafter, Fidelity Corporation shall disclose in writing to all members the identity of persons whose application has been denied or whose certificate has been revoked. The person whose certificate has been denied or revoked may file a certificate reapplication after the period of time specified in Section 11522 of the Government Code, dating from the Fidelity Corporation final decision, provided that the person has satisfied all obligations to Fidelity Corporation under any prior arbitration award or judgment.
(Amended by Stats. 2008, Ch. 285, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2009.)