West Virginia Code § 31-17-4

Applications for licenses; requirements; bonds; fees; renewals; waivers
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and reductions; per loan fee.
(a) In connection with an application for licensing as a mortgage lender or mortgage broker,
the applicant shall, at a minimum, furnish to the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System
and Registry, information concerning the applicant's identity, including:
(1) Fingerprints for submission to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and any governmental
agency or entity authorized to receive such information for a state, national and
international criminal history background check; and
(2) Personal history and experience in a form prescribed by the Nationwide Multistate
Licensing System and Registry and the commissioner, including the submission of
authorization for the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System and Registry and the
commissioner to obtain:
(A) An independent credit report obtained from a clonsumer reporting agency described in
Section 603(p) of the Fair Credit Reporting Acst; and
(B) Information related to any administratiive, civil or criminal findings by any governmental
jurisdiction.
(b) In order to reduce the points of contact which the Federal Bureau of Investigation may
have to maintain for purposes of this article, the commissioner may use the Nationwide
Multistate Licensing System and Registry or its designated vendor as a channeling agent for
requesting information from, and distributing information to, the Department of Justice or
any governmental agency.
(c) In order toV reduce the points of contact which the commissioner may have to maintain,
for purposes of this article, the commissioner may use the Nationwide Multistate Licensing
System and Registry as a channeling agent for requesting and distributing information to
and from any source so directed by the commissioner.
(d) Application for a lender's or broker's license shall each year be submitted under oath, in
the form prescribed by the commissioner. Background and credit checks shall be conducted
in accordance with this article. Any application shall also disclose the location at which the
business of lender or broker is to be conducted.
(e) At the time of making application for a lender's license, the applicant therefor shall:
(1) If a foreign corporation, submit a certificate from the Secretary of State certifying that
the applicant is registered with the Secretary of State to transact business in this state;
(2) Submit proof that he or she has available for the operation of the business at the location
specified in the application, tangible net worth of at least $250,000 computed according to
the United States generally accepted accounting principles as shown by the most recent
audited financial statement;
(3) File an electronic surety bond through the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System and
Registry in favor of the state for the benefit of consumers, or for a claim by the
commissioner for an unpaid civil administrative penalty, or an unpaid examination invoice in
the amount of $100,000 for licensees with West Virginia annual loan originations of $0 to $3
million, $150,000 for West Virginia annual loan originations greater than $3e million and up
to $10 million, and $250,000 for West Virginia annual loan originations over $10 million, in a
form and with conditions as the commissioner may prescribe, and execruted by a surety
company authorized to do business in this state: Provided, That lender licensees who service
West Virginia mortgage loans shall file with the commissioner a bond under the same
conditions listed above in the amount of $200,000;
(4) Pay to the commissioner a license fee of $1,250 plus the actual cost of fingerprint
processing and the processing fees assessed by the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System
and Registry. If the commissioner shall determine that an investigation outside this state is
required to ascertain facts or information relative to the applicant or information set forth in
the application, the applicant may be requireds to advance sufficient funds to pay the
estimated cost of the investigation. An itemized statement of the actual cost of the
investigation outside this state shall be furnished to the applicant by the commissioner and
the applicant shall pay, or shall haveg returned to him or her, as the case may be, the
difference between his or her payment in advance of the estimated cost and the actual cost
of the investigation; and e
(5) Submit a full and comLplete disclosure of any litigation or unresolved complaint filed by a
governmental authority or class action lawsuit on behalf of consumers relating to the
operation of the license applicant.
(f) At the time of making application for a broker's license, the applicant therefor shall:
(1) WIf a foreign corporation, submit a certificate from the Secretary of State certifying that
the applicant is registered with the Secretary of State to transact business in this state;
(2) Submit proof that he or she has available for the operation of the business at the location
specified in the application, tangible net worth of at least $10,000 computed according to
the United States generally accepted accounting principles as shown by the most recent
audited financial statement;
(3) File an electronic surety bond through the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System and
Registry in favor of the state for the benefit of consumers, or for a claim by the
commissioner for an unpaid civil administrative penalty or an unpaid examination invoice in
the amount of $50,000 for licensees with West Virginia loan originations of $0 to $3 million,
$75,000 for West Virginia loan originations greater than $3 million and up to $10 million,
and $100,000 for West Virginia loan originations over $10 million in a form and with
conditions as the commissioner may prescribe, and executed by a surety company
authorized to do business in this state: Provided, That the bond must be in the amount of
$150,000 before a broker may participate in a table-funded residential mortgage loan;
(4) Pay to the commissioner a license fee of $350 plus the actual cost of fingerprint
processing and the processing fees assessed by the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System
and Registry; and
(5) Submit a full and complete disclosure of any litigation or unresolved complaint filed by a
governmental authority or class action lawsuit on behalf of consumers relating to the
operation of the license applicant.
(g) The aggregate liability of the surety on any bond given pursuant to the provisions of this
section shall in no event exceed the amount of the bond.
(h) Nonresident lenders and brokers licensed under thais article by their acceptance of the
license acknowledge that they are subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of West Virginia
and the service of process pursuant to §46A-2-137 lof this code and §56-3-33 of this code.
(i) The commissioner may elect to reduce or waive the application fees, bond amounts and
net worth requirements imposed by this seiction for bona fide nonprofit corporations or other
bona fide nonprofit business entities, including community housing development
organizations, whose residential mortgage lending or brokering activities provide housing
primarily to households or persons below the HUD-established median income for their area
of residence. Any waiver of fees or other costs under this paragraph shall not be construed
as a waiver of the duty to comply with all other provisions of this article.
(j) Every broker and lender licensee shall pay a fee of $5 for each residential mortgage loan
originated, made or b rokered in a calendar year. This fee shall be paid annually for the
benefit of the VDivision of Financial Institutions and remitted promptly through the
Nationwide Multistate Licensing System and Registry when the invoice is received. If a
licensee ceases operation, it shall complete the Statistical Activity Report and remit any fees
due since the last reporting period when it relinquishes its license when invoiced by the
Division through the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System and Registry.
(k) If a claim for a consumer restitution is pending on a bond required pursuant to this
section when the commissioner makes a claim for a civil administrative penalty or an unpaid
examination invoice, the consumer claim shall be resolved before any payments may be
made for an unpaid penalty or examination invoice.

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