North Dakota Century Code Title 6. Banks and Banking § 6-01-04.3. Assessment of civil money penalties

1. The commissioner or the board may assess a civil money penalty against a financial institution, financial corporation, or credit union, or an officer, director, employee, agent, or person participating in the conduct of the affairs of the financial corporation, financial institution, or credit union upon finding one or more of the following:

2. The commissioner or the board commences administrative proceedings to assess civil money penalties by serving a complaint on the respondent stating the factual basis for the commissioner's or board's belief that a violation has occurred and the amount of civil penalties that the complaint seeks to impose. The complaint must contain a notice of an opportunity for an administrative hearing conducted under chapter 28-32. The date for the hearing must be set not less than thirty days after the date the complaint is served upon the respondent. If assessment of civil money penalties are proposed based on conditions described in subdivisions c through i of subsection 1, a complaint may not be filed unless the respondent has been provided with prior orders, examination reports, or other written communications, and has willfully refused to take corrective action that the respondent was capable of taking at the time.

3. If the respondent fails to answer the complaint within twenty days of its service, the commissioner or board may enter an order imposing civil money penalties upon the respondent. If a hearing is held and the board concludes that the record so warrants, the board may enter an order imposing civil money penalties upon the respondent. The assessment order is effective and enforceable immediately upon service or upon a date specified in the order, and remains effective and enforceable until it is stayed, modified, terminated, or set aside by action of the board or a reviewing court.

4. In determining the amount of civil penalty imposed, the commissioner or board shall consider whether good faith was exercised, and the gravity of the violation and any previous violations. The commissioner or board may not impose a civil money penalty in excess of one hundred thousand dollars for each occurrence and one thousand dollars per day for each day that the violation continues after service of an order. Any civil money penalties collected under this section must be paid to the department of financial institutions and deposited in the financial institutions regulatory fund.