Georgia Department of Banking & Finance
NON-DEPOSITORY FINANCIAL
INSTITUTIONS
Monthly Summary of Mortgage Activities For the Period Ending January, 2006
Inside this issue:
NEWS
2
Continuing Education 2
Background Checks & 2 Investigation Firms
"d/b/a" Names
3
Real Estate and
4
Administrative Actions 5
ON-Line Renewals
The on-line website is secure and requires a USER ID and PASSWORD for access. See site at:
http:// www.state.ga.us/dbf/ mortgage_forms.html
NEWS On-Line Renewals
Renewal notices are going out by February 10, 2006. Please note the following:
ON-LINE ONLY!!
As noted, hardcopy renewal application forms WILL NOT be available. All renewals must be made through the on-line system. Local libraries provide free access to the Internet should you need alternate access. In the event you are absolutely unable to access the online renewal application, you should contact the Department.
WHERE & HOW TO FILE
Access will be available after the renewal notices have been mailed. A RENEWAL link will also be available from the main mortgage forms web page as noted at left.
ALL licensees will be responsible for the following on-line:
Updating and correcting license information;
Completing the Calendar Year 2005 operating information;
Making fee and fine payments and attesting to the renewal information.
If any renewal requirements exist, such as an expired bond, outstanding judgments, or pending administrative actions or issues, the licensee will be notified by either email or fax only. Make certain you enter a valid email address when prompted on the renewal screens and make certain we have a valid fax number. Information required to clear exceptions must be provided before the renewal can be
approved.
Applicants who have no qualifying conditions to their renewal should receive no further notice from the Department after completion of the application until they receive their license.
AGAIN-NEW FEATURES
NO hardcopy applications will be accepted.
Payment must be made by ACH draft or credit card.
Notification by e-mal or fax ONLY if there are outstanding issues.
SURETY BONDS or LOCs
AUDITS may no longer be used to qualify for licensing, and a surety bond or qualifying letter of credit WILL BE REQUIRED for renewal!
Continued on Page 2
Page 2
AUDITS DO NOT SUBMIT YOUR
AUDITED FINANCIALS TO THE
DEPARTMENT! BONDS OR LETTERS OF CREDIT ONLY MAY BE USED
TO MEET THE FINANCIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR A
LICENSE!
2990 Brandywine Rd. Suite 200
Atlanta, GA 30341 Phone: 770.986.1269
Fax: 770.986.1029
Monthly Summary of Mortgage Activities For the Period Ending January, 2006
Renewals-Cont. from Page 1
If you are still relying on an audit and the Department has not received your surety bond or irrevocable letter of credit in the appropriate amount ($50,000 - Broker, $150,000 - Lender) on the Department's form prior to renewal, the license will not be renewed. Once the license or registration expires, the licensee or registrant may be required to file an application for REINSTATEMENT, a process that could take eight weeks or more to complete.
LATE FILINGS
Renewals are due by the close of business April 1, 2006. Renewals can be completed on-line after April 1, 2006, but are considered LATE renewals, and the late renewal fine of $300 will be automatically added to your renewal fee. The fine, along with any other outstanding fine, must be paid in order to renew your license.
OUTSTANDING ISSUES
All outstanding issues which exist or may arise prior to the license issue date (July 1, 2006), such as any new fines, fees, complaint issues, etc. arising after completing your renewal schedules on-line, must be resolved before your renewal license will be granted. You will be notified.
Licensees who do not resolve these issues in order to complete the renewal process by June 30, 2006 date will have their licenses expire, and will have to cease operations. Failure to properly RENEW a license will require a REINSTATEMENT of the license in order to conduct mortgage business.
QUESTIONS
You may contact the office at Renewals if you have any renewal questions. If for some reason you do not receive your renewal notice, the on-line system will allow you to apply for renewal if you are the appropriate person with the proper user ID and access code.
CONTINUING EDUCATION-BROKERS
The continuing education reporting requirement goes into effect with the FY2008 licensing period.
Brokers must obtain 12 hours of continuing education credit in the period January 1, 2006 through March 1, 2007, the initial period in which to obtain continuing education credits, in order to renew for the FY2008 license.
NO continuing
education
credit
reporting is required
for the FY2007 renewal
period. See additional
information on the web
at:
https://bkgfin.dbf.state.ga. us/MortgageDocs/FY2007Re newal.html
ON-LINE ACCESS
User ID Password
https://bkgfin.dbf.state.ga.us/MortgageDocs/FY2007R enewal.html Your License Number
Your SSN or EIN on file with the Department
Monthly Summary of Mortgage Activities For the Period Ending January, 2006
BACKGROUND CHECKS & INVESTIGATION FIRMS
Page 3
The Department recently received information from a third party provider of criminal history background checks indicating that he was being told by licensees that they were unable to use his company's services. Specifically he referenced the changes made to the rules of the Department which became final August15, 2005 to Regulation 80-11-1-.05 (1). Apparently licensees indicated that the change requires a licensed mortgage company to use a Georgia law enforcement agency to complete criminal history checks of employees to the exclusion of hiring properly licensed investigation companies. However, that assumption is incorrect.
The revised regulation requires that employers submit background information to law enforcement authorities. However, that submission may be completed through a properly licensed company authorized to obtain background information from the law enforcement agency, or directly to a law enforcement agency by the licensee. Either action is in compliance with the regulation and the requirements of the Georgia Residential Mortgage Act as long as the review is ultimately handled by the Georgia Crime Information Center pursuant to Code Section 35-3-34 and the rules and regulations of the Georgia Crime Information Center.
In addition, please note the following restrictions regarding background checks: 1) the employer must submit the information to either the investigation company or directly to the law enforcement agency for review within 10 business days of initial hiring of the employee. The 10 days does not begin with the submission of information to the investigation company or law enforcement, but is based on the initial hiring date; 2) the check must be unlimited in the number of years reviewed for criminal activity (i.e. no 7 or 10 year only checks) and; 3) these cannot be "felony only" checks.
"DOING BUSINESS AS" NAMES
USE OF PROPERLY LICENSED
INVESTIGATIONS COMPANIES TO RUN BACKGROUND CHECKS
ON EMPLOYEES IS PERMISSIBLE,
AS LONG AS THE CHECK MEETS
THE CRITERIA NOTED.
Often licensees comment on the fact that the Department has permitted the use of a company name by another company that is similar to their company's name or d/b/a (fictitious) name.
Under Georgia law, O.C.G.A. 14-2-401 (profit) and 14-3-401 (nonprofit), issuance of a name by the Secretary of State means merely that the name is distinguishable for filing purposes from the names of other entities on the records of the Corporations Division.
Approval of a d/b/a name by the Mortgage Division for a corporation for a license properly approved by the
Secretary of State to do business in Georgia does not necessarily give a person the exclusive right to use of
that name. Subsection (e) of the code sections cited above provides that "this chapter does not control the
use of fictitious or trade names" and that "issuance of a corporate name does not affect
the commercial availability of the name."
Continued on Page 4
Page 4
DBF On the Web.............
Web Page
http://www.state.ga.us/ dbf/
Administrative Actions
https:// bkgfin.dbf.state.ga.us/ WebAdmActions.html
Staff:
http://www.state.ga.us/
dbf/staff.html
Monthly Summary of Mortgage Activities
DBAs-Cont. from Page 3
For the Period Ending January, 2006
D/B/A (fictitious) names are granted by
the Clerk of the Superior Court in the Georgia county in which a licensee is domi-
ciled or operates an additional (branch) office. There are 159 counties in the State
of Georgia and each county operates autonomously with respect to fictitious name
approvals. Generally, however, the Department does endeavor to review all submit-
ted d/b/a names to prevent confusion on the part of the public with regard to li-
censees. Yet, if names are significantly different in spelling or some other manner
as to preclude the Department from rejecting the use of the name by the company,
then the approval and use of the name is allowed as approved by the Court.
Therefore, licensees need to understand that approval of a corporate or d/b/a name by the Department as properly approved by the Secretary of State and the appropriate Court does not necessarily give a company exclusive right to the use of the name. Use of a fictitious name, however, must be approved by the Department in order for that name to be used in their mortgage business by the licensee, and as noted the Department endeavors to make distinctions where possible.
And... Real Estate and Mortgage Licensing Issues
Often the question arises as to whether or not an individual may have a mortgage license and also a real estate license and perform both functions.
For purposes of the
Georgia Residential
Mortgage Act ("GRMA"),
there is no prohibition
against an individual
holding both licenses,
although there may be
concerns at the U. S.
Department of Housing
and Urban Development
regarding
company
affiliations and proper
disclosures regarding that
relationship.
However, under the GRMA the manner by which a person is compensated under their licenses can be an issue, as follows:
If a person is working for a mortgage licensee and DOES NOT have his or her
own license under the
GRMA, then they must
be a W-2 paid
employee for their work
for a
mortgage
licensee. Often the
person will be
compensated on a 1099
basis by the REAL ESTATE
company they are
working for but they
cannot be paid on a
1099 basis by the
mortgage licensee.
If a person is working for a mortgage licensee and DOES have his or her own license as a sole proprietor, then they can be compensated for their mortgage related work on a 1099 basis by that licensee as well as receive compensation under their real estate license in whatever form that company chooses to compensate its agents.
However, the one thing the
person cannot do is work for two mortgage licensees unless they have their own license as a sole proprietor.
In that case they can be paid on a 1099 basis or a W-2 basis by their mortgage licensee employer, and additionally originate loans under their own mortgage license, those being the two licenses for which they may work.
In no case can an individual, without their own individual mortgage license as a sole proprietor, work for more than one mortgage licensee and be paid by both either on a W-2 or a 1099 basis. The GRMA clearly states that to be exempt from licensing, an individual must work for only one licensee and be paid as an employee, which would require wages paid on a W-2 basis. An individual who holds a license in a company name would violate this act if they also worked for someone else.
Administrative Actions
Page 5
CEASE AND DESIST ORDERS--ISSUED
ABC Mortgage Services, Inc., Augusta, GA (license no. 15290) Cease and Desist Order issued December 6, 2005 became final on January 5, 2006.
Barone-Wingate, Shana, Douglasville, GA Cease and Desist Order issued December 16, 2005 became final on January 16, 2006.
Brashears, James, d/b/a Semaj & Company, Inc., Conyers, GA Cease and Desist Order issued December 8, 2005 became final on January 8, 2006.
Consumer's Choice Mortgage, Inc., Woodstock, GA (license no. 18619) Cease and Desist Order issued December 15, 2005 became final on January 13, 2006.
Council, Eugene, College Park, GA Cease and Desist Order issued June 2, 2005 became final January 11, 2006.
Davis, Rachel Mae, Dawsonville, GA (license no. 19932) Cease and Desist Order issued December 21, 2005 became final on January 20, 2006.
First City Mortgage Corp. (Atlanta), Milwaukee, WI (license no. 19050) Cease and Desist Order issued December 20, 2005 became final on January 19, 2006.
Fraire, Juan Carlos, Kennesaw, GA (license no. 19940) Cease and Desist Order issued December 7, 2005 became final on January 6, 2006.
Frank, Janice Clark, Columbus, GA (license no. 18374) Cease and Desist Order issued December 21, 2005 became final on January 20, 2006.
Le, Rocky, Dacula, GA Cease and Desist Order issued December 14, 2005 became final on January 3, 2006.
The Loan Page, Inc., San Francisco, CA (license no. 20445) Cease and Desist Order issued January 4, 2005 became final on January 27, 2006.
Morales, Evelin aka Evelyn Morales Cease and Desist Order issued December 20, 2005 became final on January 20, 2006.
Continued on Page 6
Page 6
CEASE AND DESIST ORDERS--ISSUED (Continued)
Thompson, Jon M., Duluth, GA (license no. 11390) Cease and Desist Order issued December 2, 2005 became final on January 1, 2006.
Williams, Shalonne, Macon, GA (license 20232) Cease and Desist Order issued January 4, 2006 became final on January 27, 2006
CEASE AND DESIST ORDERS--LIFTED
None
FINAL CONSENT ORDERS--ISSUED
First Place Home Loans, Norcross, GA (license no. 14974) Consent Order issued January 11, 2006 became final on January 11, 2006.
SUPERIOR COURT INJUNCTIONS
None
FINE PUBLICATION
Information regarding fines assessed against a specific licensee and against whom there are no pending administrative actions, is available on an individual licensee basis by submitting a written request to the following e-mail address: dbfmort@dbf.state.ga.us
FINE REASON
2 Licensees fined for Advertising Violations
1 Licensee fined for Background Check Violations
1 Licensee fined for Books & Records 1 Licensee fined for Employer under C& D
or Revocation
3 Licensees filed for Loan files not properly maintained
1 Licensee fined for $6.50 fees not paid 1 Licensee fined for GaFLA violation 1 Licensee fined for Prohibited Acts 1 Licensee fined for Relocation of office w/o notice 1 Licensee fined for Miscellaneous/Other
Page 7
LICENSEES/REGISTRANTS APPROVED OR REINSTATED IN JANUARY 2006
ID# COMPANY NAME
CITY
MB
ORIGINAL
ST CODE APPROVAL RENEWAL REINSTATED
18855 Ocwen Finl Solutions Private Bangalore
L
01-06-2006 01-06-2006
20798 BLX Capital, LLC 20799 Business Loan Center, LLC
New York New York
NY
L
01-06-2006 01-06-2006
NY
L
01-06-2006 01-06-2006
20841 TLS Mortgage Funding, Inc.
Conyers
GA
B
01-06-2006 01-06-2006
20992 Free Home Mortgage, Inc.
Canton
GA
B
01-06-2006 01-06-2006
20998 Oxford Mortgage Corporation, Greenwood Village CO
B
01-06-2006 01-06-2006
21007 Lordsman, Inc.
Newport Beach
CA
B
01-06-2006 01-06-2006
21031 Smart Mortgage, Inc.
Suwanee
GA
B
01-06-2006 01-06-2006
21043 Advantage Family Protection, Norcross
GA
B
01-06-2006 01-06-2006
21047 Gary Leland Bailey, Jr.
Duluth
21048 The Aliso Pacific Company, LLC
21062 Malcap Mortgage, LLC
Aliso Viejo Nashville
21066 AAA Worldwide Financial, Co. Dallas
21070 South Coast Mortgage, Inc.
Savannah
21085 Dove Capital Corporation
Anaheim Hills
20700 Stecroft Holdings, Inc.
Aliso Viejo
20778 QuoteMatch, LLC
San Diego
20889 Patti Leigh Dixon
Snellville
20975 Sherwood Capital of WNC, Inc. Waynesville
20978 Alliance Capital Mtg Corporation
21014 WebTreeloan.com, Inc.
Duluth Marietta
21015 Main Street Financial Mortgage, Atlanta
GA
B
01-06-2006 01-06-2006
CA
L
01-06-2006 01-06-2006
TN
B
01-06-2006 01-06-2006
TX
L
01-06-2006 01-06-2006
GA
B
01-06-2006 01-06-2006
CA
L
01-06-2006 01-06-2006
CA
B
01-13-2006 01-13-2006
CA
B
01-13-2006 01-13-2006
GA
B
01-13-2006 01-13-2006
NC
L
01-13-2006 01-13-2006
GA
B
01-13-2006 01-13-2006
GA
L
01-13-2006 01-13-2006
GA
B
01-13-2006 01-13-2006
21016 Prime Mortgage Lending, LLC Doraville
21017 SouthCoast Mortgage Services, Savannah LLC
21024 Park Place Reverse Mortgage, Atlanta
GA
B
01-13-2006 01-13-2006
GA
B
01-13-2006 01-13-2006
GA
L
01-13-2006 01-13-2006
21028 Nationwide Security Mtg Corpo- Orange
ration
21036 Neighbors Mortgage, LLC
Tucker
21057 Allstate Lending Group, Inc.
21058 Cassell-Fetherston Mortgage, LLC
21060 Resurgens Lending Group, Inc.
Atlanta Sharpsburg
Marietta
21065 Little Penguin, LLC
Atlanta
21080 Executive Capital Mortgage, Atlanta
CA
B
01-13-2006 01-13-2006
GA
B
01-13-2006 01-13-2006
GA
L
01-13-2006 01-13-2006
GA
B
01-13-2006 01-13-2006
GA
B
01-13-2006 01-13-2006
GA
B
01-13-2006 01-13-2006
GA
B
01-13-2006 01-13-2006
21090 AIMS Financial, LLC 16081 LenderLive Network Inc. +
Atlanta Glendale
GA
B
01-13-2006 01-13-2006
CO
B
10-06-2000 01-20-2006
Page 8
LICENSEES/REGISTRANTS APPROVED OR REINSTATED IN JANUARY 2006
ID# COMPANY NAME
CITY
MB
ORIGINAL
ST CODE APPROVAL RENEWAL REINSTATED
20329 SBBnet, Inc. 20908 Americor Lending Group, Inc. 20921 Coldstream Financial Services,
Evergreen Irvine Cincinnati
CO
B
01-20-2006 01-20-2006
CA
L
01-20-2006 01-20-2006
OH
B
01-20-2006 01-20-2006
20966 DB Structured Products, Inc. New York
NY
L
01-20-2006 01-20-2006
21000 Mortgage Hunters, LLC
Stone Mountain
GA
B
01-20-2006 01-20-2006
American Home Loan Lenders, 21008 LLC
Home Loans of Pennsylvania, 21044 LLC 21061 Smartloanlender.com, Inc.
21068 Ko-Am Finance, Inc.
21075 Select Home Mortgage, LLC
21079 Olympia, Inc.
21088 Desiree A. Perez
21091 Thomas Augustus Hunter
21102 Norma Jenkins
21106 Avery Mortgage, Inc.
21117 Melissa L. Storey
20988 Earl F. Johnson
21045 Christensen Financial, Inc.
21046 Eastern Finl Home Loans Corp
21081 Emcore Mortgage, LLC
21087 James Richard Morrow
21101 Greenlink Financial Services, LLC
21103 Chartraw Mortgage, LLC
21113 Advisors of Southern Lending, LLC
21114 Capital Management Mortgage, LLC
21119 J R Financial & Capital, Inc.
21139 First Alliance Mtg Corp of Delaware
21156 Alexander Bradley
16917 Tommie J. Black
Suwanee
Pittsburgh Conyers Suwaneet Duluth Marietta Columbus Dawsonville Atlanta Atlanta Rome Redding Longwood Miami Lakes Atlanta Atlanta Lilburn
Columbus Buford
Atlanta
Roswell Hollywood
Atlanta Bogart
GA
B
01-20-2006 01-20-2006
PA
B
01-20-2006 01-20-2006
GA
01-20-2006 01-20-2006
GA
B
01-20-2006 01-20-2006
GA
B
01-20-2006 01-20-2006
GA
B
01-20-2006 01-20-2006
GA
B
01-20-2006 01-20-2006
GA
B
01-20-2006 01-20-2006
GA
B
01-20-2006 01-20-2006
GA
B
01-20-2006 01-20-2006
GA
B
01-20-2006 01-20-2006
CA
B
01-27-2006 01-27-2006
FL
L
01-27-2006 01-27-2006
FL
L
01-27-2006 01-27-2006
GA
B
01-27-2006 01-27-2006
GA
B
01-27-2006 01-27-2006
GA
B
01-27-2006 01-27-2006
GA
B
01-27-2006 01-27-2006
GA
B
01-27-2006 01-27-2006
GA
B
01-27-2006 01-27-2006
GA
B
01-27-2006 01-27-2006
FL
L
01-27-2006 01-27-2006
GA
B
01-27-2006 01-27-2006
GA
B
11-30-2001 01-06-2006 01-06-2006
TOTAL: 63
Page 9
LICENSEES/REGISTRANTS REVOKED, EXPIRED, SURRENDERED, WITHDRAWN OR DENIED
ID# NAME
IN JANUARY 2006
CODE REVOKED EXPIRED SURRENDERED
WITHDRAWN
DENIED
6329 GA EQUITY MTG INC 6347 WALKER, JAMES RANDALL 11390 THOMPSON, JON M
12468 FIDELITY MTG INC 14974 1ST PLACE HM LOANS 15012 RBC MTG CO 15136 FIN AMERICA LLC 15290 ABC MTG SVCS INC 18243 HIGHLAND MTG GRP LLC 18374 FRANK, JANICE CLARK 18619 CONSUMERS CHOICE MTG
INC 18665 LAKE VIEW MTG INC 18671 GEORGIAS SOUTHERN MTG
19050 1ST CITY MTG CORP 19135 ISLANDS MTG INC 19166 HOMEQUEST CAP FUNDING
19531 ABETTERWAYHOME FIN LLC 19532 ABETTERWAYHOME FIN LLC
19737 GREESON MTG CO
19932 DAVIS, RACHEL MAE
19940 FRAIRE, JUAN CARLOS 20135 CITI GRP FINL MTG CORP 20197 FIDELITY MTG CTR LLC 20232 WILLIAMS, SHALONNE 20445 LOAN PAGE INC
TOTAL: 25
BD BD
BD
01-01-2006
LD BD
RD
LD
BD
01-05-2006
BD
BD
01-20-2006
BD
01-13-2006
BD
PD
BD
01-19-2006
BD
LD
LD
LD
BD
BD
01-20-2006
BD
01-06-2006
BD 01-04-2006
BD
BD
01-27-2006
BD
01-27-2006
01-11-2006
01-04-2006 01-04-2006
01-24-2006 01-10-2006 01-04-2006 01-18-2006
01-24-2006 01-10-2006 01-18-2006 01-30-2006 01-30-2006 01-30-2006 01-30-2006
01-30-2006
MB CODES
B = BROKER L = LENDER R = REGISTRANT
*
Upgrade Broker to Lender
+
Downgrade Lender to Broker
#
Upgrade Lender to Registrant
Downgrade Registrant to Lender