Montana Title 32. Financial Institutions § 32-2-1202. Notice of charges--hearing--cease and desist order--effective date

(1) If the department has reasonable cause to believe that any institution is engaging, has engaged, or is about to engage in an unsafe or unsound practice in conducting the business of the institution or is violating, has violated, or is about to violate a law or rule, the department may issue and serve on the institution a notice of charges. The notice must contain a statement of the facts constituting the alleged unsafe or unsound practice or violation and must fix a time and place at which an administrative hearing pursuant to Title 2, chapter 4, part 6, will be held to determine whether an order to cease and desist should be issued against the institution.

(2) The hearing may not be earlier than 30 days or later than 60 days after service of the notice unless an earlier or a later date is set by the hearings examiner at the request of the institution. Unless the institution appears at the hearing by a duly authorized representative, it is considered to have consented to the issuance of the cease and desist order. In the event of consent or if upon the record made at any such hearing the hearings examiner finds that any unsafe or unsound practice or violation specified in the notice of charges has been established by the preponderance of the evidence, the commissioner may issue and serve on the institution an order to cease and desist from the practice or violation. By provisions that may be mandatory or otherwise, the order may require the institution and its board members, officers, employees, and agents to cease and desist from the practice or violation and to take affirmative action to correct the conditions resulting from the practice or violation.

(3) A cease and desist order becomes effective at the expiration of 30 days after the service of the order on the institution, except in the case of an order issued on consent, which is effective at the time specified. The cease and desist order remains effective and enforceable, except to the extent it is stayed, modified, terminated, or set aside by the action of the commissioner or a reviewing court.