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<section article="gbo" article_name="Business Occupations and Professions" number="16-701.1" title_number="16" title_name="Real Estate Appraisers, Appraisal Management Companies, and Home Inspectors" subtitle_number="7" subtitle_name="Prohibited Acts; Penalties">
  <level label="a">
    <text>Subject to the hearing provisions of § 16–602 of this title, the Commission may deny a home inspector license to any applicant, reprimand any home inspector licensee, or suspend or revoke a home inspector license if the applicant or licensee:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>fraudulently or deceptively obtains or attempts to obtain a license for the applicant or licensee or for another;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>fraudulently or deceptively uses a license;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>engages in conduct that demonstrates bad faith, incompetency, negligence or untrustworthiness, or that constitutes dishonest, fraudulent, or improper dealings;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>under the laws of the United States or of any state, is convicted of:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>a felony; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>a misdemeanor that is directly related to the fitness and qualification of the applicant or licensee to provide home inspection services;</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>fails to maintain the insurance required under § 16–4A–04 of this title;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>violates any provision of this title;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="7">
      <text>violates any regulation adopted under this title; or</text>
    </level>
    <level label="8">
      <text>aids, abets, or assists any person in violating any provision of this title or any regulation adopted under this title.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Instead of or in addition to reprimanding a licensee or suspending or revoking a license under this section, the Commission may impose a penalty not exceeding $5,000 for each violation.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>To determine the amount of the penalty imposed, the Commission shall consider:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>the seriousness of the violation;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>the harm caused by the violation;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>the good faith of the licensee; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>any history of previous violations by the licensee.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>The Commission shall pay any penalty collected under this subsection into the General Fund of the State.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>The Commission shall consider the following facts in the granting, denial, renewal, suspension, or revocation of a license or the reprimand of a licensee when an applicant or licensee is convicted of a felony or a misdemeanor described in subsection (a)(4) of this section:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>the nature of the crime;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>the relationship of the crime to the activities authorized by the license;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>with respect to a felony, the relevance of the conviction to the fitness and qualification of the applicant or licensee to provide home inspection services;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>the length of time since the conviction; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>the behavior and activities of the applicant or licensee before and after the conviction.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
