Purpose of These Rules and Procedures; These rules and procedures are adopted for the

Purpose of These Rules and Procedures; These rules and procedures are adopted for the purpose of providing a general guideline for the conduct of any administrative hearings for which the Commissioner of the Department of Banking and Consumer Finance, State of Mississippi (“Commissioner”) has been charged by law to conduct relating to businesses, professions, or licenses within the jurisdiction of the Mississippi Department of Banking and Consumer Finance (the “Department” or “DBCF”) pursuant to the Mississippi S.A.F.E. Mortgage Licensing Act, §§ 81-18-1 et seq., and § 81-18-29 of the Code of Mississippi of 1972, as amended. 1.1 Authority to Promulgate; These Rules and Procedures are adopted pursuant to the Mississippi S.A.F.E. Mortgage Licensing Act of 2009, §§ 81-18-1 et seq., and § 81-18-29 of the Code of Mississippi of 1972, as amended. Source: MISS. CODE ANN. §§ 81-18-1; 81-18-29; (effective date July 1, 2016) 1.2 Severability; If any provision, section, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase of any of the Rules and Procedures, or the application of the same to any person or entity or any set of circumstances, is for any reason challenged or held to be invalid, null or void, the remaining rules, procedures or regulations or any application thereof to any person or circumstances shall remain valid. 1.3 Notice of Hearing; A written notice specifying the violation(s) or offense(s) for which the licensee (or any person or entity subject to the jurisdiction of the Department) is charged and a notice of the time and place of the hearing shall be served at least ten (10) days prior to the hearing date. Such notice may be served by mailing a copy of the notice, via certified mail postage prepaid, to the last known residential or business address of the licensee, person or entity. Service via hand-delivery, electronic communications, or other methods may also be used to perfect service of the notice upon the party or its representative. Notice to a representative shall be deemed notice to the party represented. 1.3.1 Waiver; A properly noticed party’s failure to timely respond to notice shall constitute that party’s full and complete waiver of the party’s intent to attend the noticed Hearing or otherwise defend against the charges. A properly noticed Hearing may thereafter be conducted by the Commissioner without the party charged being present or represented. 1.4; Unless expressly prohibited by statute or regulation, the Commissioner shall have discretion to control all aspects of the hearing, including any motion practice or depositions that may be authorized, in order to maintain order, maximize administrative/agency economy and to set controls for the behavior of all participants involved in any manner. All hearings shall be conducted by the Commissioner, who shall not be bound by strict rules of civil procedure or by the rules of evidence in the conduct of any phase of the hearing process. 1.5 Hearing Counsel to Commissioner; The Commissioner may appoint Hearing Counsel in order to provide legal counsel to the Commissioner on all aspects of the hearing and assist in conducting any part of the hearing or activities related thereto. Hearing Counsel shall have experience with conducting hearings that are judicial or administrative in nature and will assist and solely represent the Commissioner to ensure an orderly and fair hearing process. Hearing Counsel shall be an attorney that does not represent any other party interested in the hearing and may be an attorney from the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office. All parties shall be notified upon appointment of Hearing Counsel. 1.5.1 Authority of Hearing Counsel; Hearing Counsel shall have authority to conduct the hearing process in his/her discretion, and in consultation with the Commissioner. Hearing Counsel may make recommendations on any question or issue, but the Commissioner shall have the ultimate discretion and sole authority in all situations to make the final determination of any issue. 1.6 Administration of Oaths; At any hearing or related matter the Commissioner shall administer oaths as may be necessary for the proper conduct of the hearing. The Commissioner’s authority may be administered by a certified Court Reporter. 1.7 Extensions of time; Upon motion by any party or on his/her own initiative, the Commissioner has sole discretion to order an extension of any deadline that may be established during the hearing process.