Nebraska § 45-741 - Director; examine documents and records; investigate violations or complaints; director; powers; costs; confidentiality.

§ 45-741. Director; examine documents and records; investigate violations or complaints; director; powers; costs; confidentiality.

(1) The director may examine documents and records maintained by a licensee, registrant, individual, or person subject to the Residential Mortgage Licensing Act. The director may investigate complaints about a licensee, registrant, individual, or person subject to the act. The director may investigate reports of alleged violations of the act, any federal law governing residential mortgage loans, or any rule, regulation, or order of the director under the act. For purposes of investigating violations or complaints arising under the act or for the purposes of examination, the director may review, investigate, or examine any licensee, registrant, individual, or person subject to the act as often as necessary in order to carry out the purposes of the act.

(2) For purposes of any investigation, examination, or proceeding, including, but not limited to, initial licensing, license renewal, license suspension, license conditioning, or license revocation, the director shall have the authority to access, receive, and use any books, accounts, records, files, documents, information, or evidence, including, but not limited to:

(a) Criminal, civil, and administrative history information;

(b) Personal history and experience information, including independent credit reports obtained from a consumer reporting agency described in 15 U.S.C. 1681a(p), as such section existed on January 1, 2026; 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.

(3) Each licensee, registrant, individual, or person subject to the Residential Mortgage Licensing Act shall make available to the director upon request the books, accounts, records, files, or documents relating to the operations of such licensee, registrant, individual, or person subject to the act. The director shall have access to such books, accounts, records, files, and documents and may interview the officers, principals, mortgage loan originators, employees, independent contractors, agents, and customers of the licensee, registrant, individual, or person subject to the act, concerning the business of the licensee, registrant, individual, or person subject to the act.

(4) Each licensee, registrant, individual, or person subject to the act shall make or compile reports or prepare other information as instructed by the director in order to carry out the purposes of this section, including, but not limited to:

(a) Accounting compilations;

(b) Information lists and data concerning loan transactions on a form prescribed by the director; or

(c) Such other information deemed necessary to carry out the purposes of this section.

(5) The director may send a notice of investigation or inquiry request for information to a licensee or registrant. Upon receipt by a licensee or registrant of the director's notice of investigation or inquiry request for information, the licensee or registrant shall respond within twenty-one calendar days. Each day beyond that time a licensee or registrant fails to respond as required by this subsection shall constitute a separate violation of the act. This subsection shall not be construed to require the director to send a notice of investigation to a licensee, a registrant, or any person.

(6) For the purpose of any investigation, examination, or proceeding under the act, the director or any officer designated by him or her may administer oaths and affirmations, subpoena witnesses and compel their attendance, take evidence, and require the production of any books, papers, correspondence, memoranda, agreements, or other documents or records which the director deems relevant or material to the inquiry. If any person refuses to comply with a subpoena issued under this section or to testify with respect to any matter relevant to the proceeding, the district court of Lancaster County may, on application of the director, issue an order requiring the person to comply with the subpoena and to testify. Failure to obey an order of the court to comply with the subpoena may be punished by the court as civil contempt.

(7) In conducting an examination or investigation under this section, the director may rely on reports made by the licensee or registrant which have been prepared within the preceding twelve months for the following federal agencies or federally related entities:

(a) The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development;

(b) The Federal Housing Administration;

(c) The Federal National Mortgage Association;

(d) The Government National Mortgage Association;

(e) The Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation;

(f) The United States Department of Veterans Affairs; or

(g) The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

(8) In order to carry out the purposes of this section, the director may:

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

(b) Use, hire, contract, or employ publicly or privately available analytical systems, methods, or software to examine or investigate the licensee, registrant, individual, or person subject to the act;

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

(d) Accept audit reports made by an independent certified public accountant for the licensee, registrant, individual, or person subject to the act in the course of that part of the examination covering the same general subject matter as the audit and incorporate the audit report in the report of the examination, report of investigation, or other writing of the director.

(9) If the director receives a complaint or other information concerning noncompliance with the act by an exempt person, the director shall inform the agency having supervisory authority over the exempt person of the complaint.

(10) No licensee, registrant, individual, or person subject to investigation or examination under this section shall knowingly withhold, abstract, remove, mutilate, destroy, or secrete any books, records, computer records, or other information.

(11) The total charge for an examination or investigation shall be paid by the licensee or registrant as set forth in sections 8-605 and 8-606.

(12) Examination reports shall not be deemed public records and may be withheld from the public pursuant to section 84-712.05.

(13) Complaint files shall be deemed public records.

(14) The authority of this section shall remain in effect, whether such a licensee, registrant, individual, or person subject to the Residential Mortgage Licensing Act acts or claims to act under any licensing or registration law of this state or claims to act without such authority.