§449-8.6 Sale or transfer of license or change in control. (a) No escrow depository license shall be transferred except as provided in this section.

(b) A bona fide sale of all or substantially all of the ongoing operations of a licensee shall not result in the assignment or transfer of the escrow depository license, until approved by the commissioner as provided in this section. The proposed purchaser of all or substantially all of the ongoing operations of a licensee shall file an application for approval of a proposed change in control of the licensee, accompanied by a nonrefundable application fee in accordance with this chapter, and shall not act as an escrow depository until the application has been approved by the commissioner.

(c) Any transfer of a licensee's voting stock which may result in the acquisition of control of the licensee may be considered a transfer of license under this chapter, and prior to the transfer shall be reported to the commissioner in writing. Upon determination by the commissioner that the intended transfer will result in the acquisition of control, the proposed purchaser or transferee of the stock shall file an application for approval of a proposed change in control of the licensee, accompanied by a nonrefundable application fee in accordance with this chapter, and shall not act as an escrow depository until the application has been approved by the commissioner.

(d) At the time of filing an application for approval of a proposed change in control of the licensee, the proposed purchaser or transferee shall provide to the commissioner the history of its material litigation and criminal convictions for the five-year period prior to the date of the application, and any other information requested by the commissioner which may include information similar to that required of an applicant for initial licensure or license renewal under this chapter. The proposed purchaser or transferee shall also provide any authorizations necessary for the commissioner to conduct criminal history record checks of each of the purchaser or transferee's controlling persons, and each of the officers, directors, and principals who will be in charge of the licensee's activities upon approval of the proposed application for change in control. The authorizations shall be accompanied by the appropriate payment of the applicable fee for each record check.

(e) Approval of the application for change in control of the licensee shall be granted only if the commissioner finds that following the change in control of the licensee, the character, financial responsibility, experience, ability, and general fitness of the controlling persons of the applicant for proposed change in control of the licensee, and each of the officers, directors, and principals who will be in charge of the licensee's activities upon approval of the proposed application for change in control, are such as to command the confidence of the community in the State and to warrant the beliefs that such persons are competent to successfully control and manage an escrow business and the applicant will be an honest and efficient escrow depository.

(f) In granting approval, the commissioner may impose such conditions and restrictions as shall be in the public interest, including without limitation requiring the proposed purchaser or transferee to fulfill representations contained in its application for approval of a proposed change in control of the licensee, and agreements made during the application process. [L 1992, c 205, pt of §1; am L 2013, c 166, §6; am L 2016, c 224, §5]