Title 12

SECTION 1209.8

1209.8 Removal and prohibition proceedings.

§ 1209.8 Removal and prohibition proceedings.

(a) Removal and prohibition proceedings - (1) Authority to issue order. As provided by section 1377(a)(1) of the Safety and Soundness Act (12 U.S.C. 4636a(a)(1)), the Director may serve upon a party described in paragraph (a)(2) of this section, or any officer, director, or management of the Office of Finance, a notice of the intention of the Director to suspend or remove such party from office, or to prohibit any further participation by such party in any manner in the conduct of the affairs of the regulated entity or the Office of Finance.

(2) Applicability. As provided by section 1377(a)(2) of the Safety and Soundness Act (12 U.S.C. 4636a(a)(2)), a party described in this paragraph is an entity-affiliated party or any officer, director, or management of the Office of Finance, if the Director determines that:

(i) That party, officer, or director has, directly or indirectly -

(A) Violated -

(1) Any law or regulation;

(2) Any cease and desist order that has become final;

(3) Any condition imposed in writing by the Director in connection with an application, notice, or other request by a regulated entity; or

(4) Any written agreement between such regulated entity and the Director;

(B) Engaged or participated in any unsafe or unsound practice in connection with any regulated entity or business institution; or

(C) Committed or engaged in any act, omission, or practice which constitutes a breach of such party's fiduciary duty;

(ii) By reason of such violation, practice, or breach -

(A) Such regulated entity or business institution has suffered or likely will suffer financial loss or other damage; or

(B) Such party directly or indirectly received financial gain or other benefit; and

(iii) The violation, practice, or breach described in subparagraph (i) of this section -

(A) Involves personal dishonesty on the part of such party; or

(B) Demonstrates willful or continuing disregard by such party for the safety or soundness of such regulated entity or business institution.

(3) Applicability to business entities. Under section 1377(f) of the Safety and Soundness Act (12 U.S.C. 4636a(f)), this remedy applies only to a person who is an individual, unless the Director specifically finds that it should apply to a corporation, firm, or other business entity.

(b) Suspension order - (1) Suspension or prohibition authorized. If the Director serves written notice under section 1377(a) of the Safety and Soundness Act (12 U.S.C. 4636a(a)) upon a party subject to that section, the Director may, by order, suspend or remove such party from office, or prohibit such party from further participation in any manner in the conduct of the affairs of the regulated entity or the Office of Finance, if the Director:

(i) Determines that such action is necessary for the protection of the regulated entity or the Office of Finance; and

(ii) Serves such party with written notice of the order.

(2) Effective period. The effective period of any order under section 1377(b)(1) of the Safety and Soundness Act (12 U.S.C. 4636a(b)(1)) is specified in section 1377(b)(2) of the Safety and Soundness Act (12 U.S.C. 4636a(b)(2)). An order of suspension shall become effective upon service and, absent a court-ordered stay, remains effective and enforceable until the date the Director dismisses the charges or the effective date of an order issued by the Director under section 1377(c)(4) of the Safety and Soundness Act (12 U.S.C. 4636a(c)(4),(5)).

(3) Copy of order to be served on regulated entity. In accordance with section 1377(b)(3) of the Safety and Soundness Act (12 U.S.C. 4636a(b)(3)), the Director will serve a copy of any order to suspend, remove, or prohibit participation in the conduct of the affairs on the Office of Finance or any regulated entity with which such party is affiliated at the time such order is issued.

(c) Notice; hearing and order - (1) Written notice. A notice of the intention of the Director to issue an order under sections 1377(a) and (c) of the Safety and Soundness Act, (12 U.S.C. 4636a(a), (c)), shall conform with § 1209.23, and may include any such additional information as the Director may require.

(2) Hearing. A hearing on the record shall be held in the District of Columbia in accordance with sections 1373(a)(1) and 1377(c)(2) of the Safety and Soundness Act. See 12 U.S.C. 4633(a)(1), 4636a(c)(2).

(3) Consent. As provided by section 1377(c)(3) of the Safety and Soundness Act (12 U.S.C. 4636a(c)(3)), unless the party that is the subject of a notice delivered under paragraph (a) of this section appears in person or by a duly authorized representative of record, in the adjudicatory proceeding, such party shall be deemed to have consented to the issuance of an order under this section.

(4) Issuance of order of suspension or removal. As provided by section 1377(c)(4) of the Safety and Soundness Act (12 U.S.C. 4636a(c)(4)), the Director may issue an order under this part, as the Director may deem appropriate, if:

(i) A party is deemed to have consented to the issuance of an order under paragraph (d); or

(ii) Upon the record made at the hearing, the Director finds that any of the grounds specified in the notice have been established.

(5) Effectiveness of order. As provided by section 1377(c)(5) of the Safety and Soundness Act (12 U.S.C. 4636a(c)(5)), any order issued and served upon a party in accordance with this section shall become effective at the expiration of 30 days after the date of service upon such party and any regulated entity or entity-affiliated party. An order issued upon consent under paragraph (c)(3) of this section, however, shall become effective at the time specified therein. Any such order shall remain effective and enforceable except to such extent as it is stayed, modified, terminated, or set aside by action of the Director or a reviewing court.

(d) Prohibition of certain activities and industry-wide prohibition - (1) Prohibition of certain activities. As provided by section 1377(d) of the Safety and Soundness Act (12 U.S.C. 4636a(d)), any person subject to an order issued under subpart B of this part shall not -

(i) Participate in any manner in the conduct of the affairs of any regulated entity or the Office of Finance;

(ii) Solicit, procure, transfer, attempt to transfer, vote, or attempt to vote any proxy, consent, or authorization with respect to any voting rights in any regulated entity;

(iii) Violate any voting agreement previously approved by the Director; or

(iv) Vote for a director, or serve or act as an entity-affiliated party of a regulated entity or as an officer or director of the Office of Finance.

(2) Industry-wide prohibition. As provided by section 1377(e)(1) of the Safety and Soundness Act (12 U.S.C. 4636a(e)(1)), except as provided in section 1377(e)(2) of the Safety and Soundness Act (12 U.S.C. 4636a(e)(2)), any person who, pursuant to an order issued under section 1377 of the Safety and Soundness Act (12 U.S.C. 4636a), has been removed or suspended from office in a regulated entity or the Office of Finance, or prohibited from participating in the conduct of the affairs of a regulated entity or the Office of Finance, may not, while such order is in effect, continue or commence to hold any office in, or participate in any manner in the conduct of the affairs of, any regulated entity or the Office of Finance.

(3) Relief from industry-wide prohibition at the discretion of the Director - (i) Relief from order. As provided by section 1377(e)(2) of the Safety and Soundness Act (12 U.S.C. 4636a(e)(2)), if, on or after the date on which an order has been issued under section 1377 of the Safety and Soundness Act (12 U.S.C. 4636a) that removes or suspends from office any party, or prohibits such party from participating in the conduct of the affairs of a regulated entity or the Office of Finance, such party receives the written consent of the Director, the order shall cease to apply to such party with respect to the regulated entity or the Office of Finance to the extent described in the written consent. Such written consent shall be on such terms and conditions as the Director therein may specify in his discretion. Any such consent shall be publicly disclosed.

(ii) No private right of action; no final agency action. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to require the Director to entertain or to provide such written consent, or to confer any rights to such consideration or consent upon any party, regulated entity, entity-affiliated party, or the Office of Finance. Additionally, whether the Director consents to relief from an outstanding order under this part is committed wholly to the discretion of the Director, and such determination shall not be a final agency action for purposes of seeking judicial review.

(4) Violation of industry-wide prohibition. As provided by section 1377(e)(3) of the Safety and Soundness Act (12 U.S.C. 4636a(e)(3)), any violation of section 1377(e)(1) of the Safety and Soundness Act (12 U.S.C. 4636a(e)(1)) by any person who is subject to an order issued under section 1377(h) of the Safety and Soundness Act (12 U.S.C. 4636a(h)) (suspension or removal of entity-affiliated party charged with felony) shall be treated as a violation of the order.

(e) Stay of suspension or prohibition of entity-affiliated party. As provided by section 1377(g) of the Safety and Soundness Act (12 U.S.C. 4636a(g)), not later than 10 days after the date on which any entity-affiliated party has been suspended from office or prohibited from participation in the conduct of the affairs of a regulated entity, such party may apply to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, or the United States district court for the judicial district in which the headquarters of the regulated entity is located, for a stay of such suspension or prohibition pending the completion of the administrative enforcement proceeding pursuant to section 1377(c) of the Safety and Soundness Act (12 U.S.C. 4636a(c)). The court shall have jurisdiction to stay such suspension or prohibition, but such jurisdiction does not extend to the administrative enforcement proceeding.