26-2234. EXAMINATIONS, INVESTIGATIONS, RECORDS AND PAYMENT OF FUNDS. (1) The director or his duly authorized representative may make an annual examination, or more frequently in the director’s discretion, of the licensee’s business locations from which activities authorized under this act are conducted, and for that purpose the director shall have free access during normal business hours to the offices and places of business, and to the books, creditors’ accounts, trust accounts, business accounts, records, papers, files, safes and vaults used by a licensee for its operations under this act.

(2) The director may conduct public or private investigations and examinations within or outside of this state which the director considers necessary or appropriate to determine whether a person has violated, is violating, or is about to violate this act or a rule adopted or order issued under this act, or to aid in the enforcement of this act. For that purpose the director shall have free access during normal business hours to the offices and places of business, and to the books, creditors’ accounts, trust accounts, business accounts, records, papers, files, safes and vaults used by a licensee for its operations under this act.

(3) The cost of examination and any investigation shall be paid to the director by each licensee so examined or investigated and the director may maintain an action for the recovery of such costs against the licensee or against the surety providing the bond to indemnify the state for such expenditures as required by this act. The cost shall be fixed annually by the director, but shall not exceed fifty dollars ($50.00) per hour.

(4) Each collection agency licensee shall acknowledge in writing each account received for collection and shall maintain a record of such account, and shall make a permanent record of all sums collected and of all disbursements made. Every collection agency licensee shall keep and preserve all records relating to accounts received for collection, moneys collected, receipts, and disposal or disbursement of all creditors’ funds for a period of three (3) years after the final disposition of any account. It shall be unlawful for any person to intentionally make any false entry, omit to make a necessary entry, mutilate, secrete away, destroy or otherwise dispose of any record referenced in this subsection, provided a record may be disposed of after the three (3) year period heretofore provided.

(5) Every collection agency licensee shall, within thirty (30) days following the end of each calendar month, remit to his creditor clients all funds due them resulting from collections made by the licensee during said calendar month. Such licensees shall provide each of their creditor clients a written statement of all moneys collected on behalf of such creditor clients and any payments made to such creditor clients within thirty (30) days following the end of each calendar month.

(6) Every licensee shall maintain books and records, including financial records in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, in a manner that will enable the director to determine whether the licensee is complying with the provisions of this act.

(7) The director may impound the accounts, including all operating and trust accounts held in any financial institution, of any licensee or person required to be licensed under this act who receives, holds or disburses consumer funds, if the director deems it in the public interest and good cause exists therefor, in accordance with section 67-5247, Idaho Code.

History:

[26-2234, added 1970, ch. 53, sec. 13, p. 118; am. 1974, ch. 24, sec. 25, p. 744; am. 1993, ch. 165, sec. 2, p. 418; am. 2002, ch. 190, sec. 5, p. 548; am. 2008, ch. 347, sec. 17, p. 951.]