Section 10-14-11. Stop order suspending or revoking a registration; denial or refusal of application for registration; penalties

   (a) The Secretary of State may issue a stop order denying effectiveness to, or suspending or revoking the effectiveness of, any registration and shall give notice of such issuance pursuant to Code Section 10-14-23 if he or she finds that the order is in the public interest and that:

   (1) The registration as of its effective date, or as of any earlier date in the case of an order denying effectiveness, contains an untrue statement of a material fact or omits to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading;

   (2) The applicant has failed to file financial reports required by subsection (h) of Code Section 10-14-12;

   (3) The applicant has failed to pay the filing fees required by Code Section 10-4-4;

   (4) The person or entity registered or sought to be registered or the individual owner, corporate owner, or person who owns a controlling interest of the corporate owner has been adjudicated, civilly or criminally, to have committed fraud or to have violated any law of any state involving fair trade or business practices, has been convicted of a misdemeanor of which fraud is an essential element or which involves any aspect of the funeral or cemetery business, or has been convicted of a felony;

   (5) The trustee for the perpetual care trust fund or the escrow agent for the preneed escrow account has failed to file financial reports required by subsection (h) of Code Section 10-14-6 or subsection (g) of Code Section 10-14-29;

   (6) The person or entity registered or seeking to be registered has become insolvent or has filed a voluntary petition for protection from creditors; or

   (7) Any provision of this chapter or any rule, order, or condition lawfully imposed under this chapter has been willfully violated by:

      (A) The person filing the registration application;

      (B) The registrant's individual owner, corporate owner, or person who owns a controlling interest of the corporate owner; or

      (C) The trustee or escrow agent of a trust fund or escrow account established and maintained pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.

(b) The Secretary of State may deny registration or refuse to grant renewal of registration if he or she finds that such refusal or denial is in the public interest and that:

   (1) The registration application does not contain a current list of preneed sales agents and accompanying information as required by Code Section 10-14-4;

   (2) The applicant has not paid filing fees or renewal fees as required by Code Section 10-14-4; or

   (3) The applicant has not filed the financial reports required by Code Section 10-14-4 or subsection (h) of Code Section 10-14-12.

(c) In addition to the actions authorized in subsections (a) and (b) of this Code section, the Secretary of State shall be authorized to impose a penalty fee not to exceed $500.00 for the late filing of an application for a renewal registration or late filing of financial reports required by this chapter, or both. However, the penalty fee or fees imposed for the late filing of an application for renewal of registration or financial reports may be waived by the Secretary of State upon a showing to the Secretary of the State that such late filing was due to circumstances beyond the control of the applicant or registrant despite the exercise by the applicant or registrant of due diligence in the timely filing of the application or report.

(d) The Secretary of State may by order summarily postpone or suspend the effectiveness of the registration or refuse to register any applicant pending final determination of any proceeding under this Code section. Upon the entry of the order, the Secretary of State shall promptly notify the applicant or registrant of the order and the reasons for the order and that, within 15 days after the receipt of a written request, the matter will be heard. If no hearing is requested and none is ordered by the Secretary of State, the order will remain in effect until it is modified or vacated by the Secretary of State. If a hearing is requested or ordered, the Secretary of State, after notice of an opportunity for hearing to the persons affected, may modify or vacate the order or extend it until final determination.

(e) The Secretary of State may vacate or modify a stop order if he or she finds that the conditions which prompted its entry have changed or that it is otherwise in the public interest to do so.

(f) No stop order issued under any part of this Code section, except the first sentence of subsection (d) of this Code section, shall become effective until and unless the Secretary of State has complied with the provisions of Code Section 10-14-23.

Code 1981, § 44-3-136, enacted by Ga. L. 1983, p. 1508, § 1; Ga. L. 1984, p. 22, § 44; Ga. L. 1986, p. 10, § 44; Code 1981, § 10-14-11, as redesignated by Ga. L. 2000, p. 882, § 1.