Washington § 31.35.080 - Enforcement — Responsibility of director — Penalty.

(1) The director shall adopt rules to enforce the intent and purposes of this chapter. Such rules shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

(a) Disclosure of conflicts of interest;

(b) Prohibition of false statements made to the director on any form required by the director or during any examination; or

(c) Prevention of fraud and undue influence within an agricultural lender.

(2) A violation of any provision of this chapter or any rule of the director adopted under this chapter by an agent, employee, officer, or director of the agricultural lender shall be punishable by a fine, established by the director, not to exceed one hundred dollars for each offense. Each day's continuance of the violation shall be a separate and distinct offense. All fines shall be credited to the financial services regulation fund.

(3) The director may issue and serve upon an agricultural lender a notice of charges if, in the opinion of the director, the agricultural lender is violating or has violated the law, rule, or any condition imposed in writing by the director or any written agreement made by the director.

(a) The notice shall contain a statement of the facts constituting the alleged violation or practice and shall fix a time and place at which a hearing will be held to determine whether an order to cease and desist should issue against the agricultural lender. The hearing shall be set not earlier than ten days nor later than thirty days after service of the notice unless a later date is set by the director at the request of the agricultural lender.

Unless the agricultural lender appears at the hearing by a duly authorized representative, it shall be deemed to have consented to the issuance of the cease and desist order. In the event of consent or if, upon the record made at the hearing, the director finds that any violation or practice specified in the notice of charges has been established, the director may issue and serve upon the agricultural lender an order to cease and desist from the violation or practice. The order may require the agricultural lender and its directors, officers, employees, and agents to cease and desist from the violation or practice and may require the agricultural lender to take affirmative action to correct the conditions resulting from the violation or practice.

(b) A cease and desist order shall become effective at the expiration of ten days after the service of the order upon the agricultural lender concerned, except that a cease and desist order issued upon consent shall become effective at the time specified in the order and shall remain effective as provided in the order unless it is stayed, modified, terminated, or set aside by action of the director or a reviewing court.

Effective date—2001 c 177: See note following RCW 43.320.080.