New York § 580 - 580Application for license

§ 580. 580Application for license

§ 580. Application for license. 1. Application for a license required under this article shall be in writing, under oath, and in the form prescribed by the superintendent, and shall contain the following: (a) The exact name and the address of the applicant and its date of incorporation; and (b) The name and complete business and residential address and occupation of each officer and director of the applicant; and (c) The complete address where the business of the applicant is to be conducted, showing the street and number, if any, post office and building and room number, if any, the office building and room number, if any, and the municipality and county; and (d) If the applicant has one or more branches, subsidiaries or affiliates operating in this state, the complete address of each such place of business; and (e) Such other pertinent information as the superintendent may require, including but not limited to evidence indicating that the applicant, or officer, director, or manager of such applicant has at least one year of experience in financial services or related fields applicable to budget planning. 2. Where an applicant operates several places of business, separate applications for license shall be made for each such place of business. 3. Upon original application for a license or licenses to operate one or more places of business, the applicant shall pay an investigation fee in an aggregate amount as prescribed pursuant to section eighteen-a of this chapter. No additional investigation fee shall be required for any subsequent application for a license unless such application is subsequent to a denial of a license or to a revocation, suspension or surrender of a license. 4. As a condition for the issuance and retention of a budget planner license, and subject to such regulations as the superintendent shall prescribe, applicants for a license shall file with the superintendent a surety bond in form satisfactory to the superintendent issued by a bonding company or insurance company authorized to do business in this state. Except as provided hereunder, the principal amount of such bond shall be two hundred fifty thousand dollars. The superintendent may require a larger bond if he or she determines, in his or her sole discretion, that a licensee has engaged in a pattern of conduct resulting in bona fide consumer complaints of misconduct and that such increased bond is necessary for the protection of consumers; or the superintendent may increase or decrease the amount of such bond or deposit based upon the applicant's or licensee's financial condition, business plan, and the actual or estimated aggregate amount of payments and fees paid by debtors to such licensee. In lieu of such bond, an applicant may keep on deposit with such banks, savings banks, savings and loan associations, trust companies, private bankers, national banks, federal savings banks, or federal savings and loan associations in the state as such licensee may designate and the superintendent may approve, interest-bearing bonds, notes, debentures, or other obligations of the United States or any agency or instrumentality thereof, or guaranteed by the United States, or of this state, or of a city, county, town, village, school district, or instrumentality of this state or guaranteed by this state, or dollar deposits, or such other assets or letters of credit as the superintendent shall by rule or regulation permit. The proceeds of each bond or deposit shall constitute a trust fund to be used exclusively to reimburse payments by debtors that have not been properly distributed to creditors or to reimburse fees determined by the superintendent to be improperly charged or collected and, in the event of the insolvency, liquidation, or bankruptcy of such licensee, to pay outstanding department of financial services examination costs and assessments. Within ninety days after the effective date of this subdivision, each licensee shall comply with the requirements of this subdivision.