CHAPTER 7. ENFORCEMENT; ADJUSTMENT IN MAXIMUM FEES - Indiana Statutes

IC 24-7-7
     Chapter 7. Enforcement; Adjustment in Maximum Fees

IC 24-7-7-1
Enforcement by department
     Sec. 1. The department shall enforce this article. To carry out this responsibility, the department may do the following:
        (1) Receive and act on complaints, take action designed to obtain voluntary compliance with this article, or commence proceedings on the department's own initiative.
        (2) Issue and enforce administrative orders under IC 4-21.5.
        (3) Counsel persons and groups on their rights and duties under this article.
        (4) Establish programs for the education of consumers with respect to rental purchase agreement practices and problems.
        (5) Make studies appropriate to effectuate the purposes and policies of this article and make the results available to the public.
        (6) Adopt rules under IC 4-22-2, including emergency rules under IC 4-22-2-37.1, to carry out this article.
        (7) Maintain more than one (1) office within Indiana.
        (8) Bring a civil action to restrain a person from violating this article and for other appropriate relief.
        (9) Impose a civil penalty under IC 4-21.5 of not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) for a violation of this article or a rule adopted under this article.
As added by P.L.254-1987, SEC.1. Amended by P.L.1-1990, SEC.245; P.L.138-1990, SEC.12; P.L.172-1997, SEC.12; P.L.35-2010, SEC.91.

IC 24-7-7-2
Examinations of books and records; record keeping requirements; investigations; court order compelling compliance; confidentiality; record retention; examination of vendors
     Sec. 2. (a) A person subject to this article shall make the books and records of the person reasonably available for inspection by the department or the department's representative. At a minimum, every lessor shall keep a record of all payments remitted by the lessee on a rental purchase agreement, including the following:
        (1) The name of the lessee.
        (2) The date of each transaction.
        (3) The total amount of each payment.
        (4) A breakdown of each payment reflecting:
            (A) each type of charge; and
            (B) the amount of each type of charge.
The method of maintaining this data is at the discretion of the lessor, if hard copies of the required data are readily available. The record keeping system of the lessor shall be made available in Indiana for examination. The director shall determine the sufficiency of the records and whether the lessor has made the required information

reasonably available.
    (b) In administering this article and in order to determine compliance with this article, the department or the department's representative may examine the books and records of persons subject to the article and may make investigations of persons necessary to determine compliance. For this purpose, the department may administer oaths or affirmations, and, upon the department's own motion or upon request of any party, may subpoena witnesses, compel their attendance, compel testimony, and require the production of any matter that is relevant to the investigation, including the existence, description, nature, custody, condition, and location of any books, documents, or other tangible things and the identity and location of persons having knowledge of relevant facts, or any other matter reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence.
    (c) If the person's records are located outside Indiana, the person shall, at the person's option, either make them available to the department at a convenient location in Indiana, or pay the reasonable and necessary expenses for the department or the department's representative to examine them at the place where they are maintained. The department may designate representatives, including comparable officials of the state in which the records are located, to inspect them on the department's behalf.
    (d) Upon failure without lawful excuse to obey a subpoena or to give testimony and upon reasonable notice to all persons affected thereby, the department may apply to a court for an order compelling compliance.
    (e) The department may not make public the name or identity of a person whose acts or conduct the department investigates under this section or the facts disclosed in the investigation, but this subsection does not apply to disclosures in actions or enforcement proceedings under this article.
    (f) A lessor shall use generally accepted accounting principles and practices in keeping books and records so that the department or the department's representative may determine if the lessor is in compliance with this article or a rule adopted under this article.
    (g) A lessor shall keep the lessor's books and records that pertain to a rental purchase agreement for at least two (2) years after the rental purchase agreement has terminated.
    (h) If a lessor contracts with an outside vendor to provide a service that would otherwise be undertaken internally by the lessor and be subject to the department's routine examination procedures, the person that provides the service to the lessor shall, at the request of the director, submit to an examination by the department. If the director determines that an examination under this subsection is necessary or desirable, the examination may be made at the expense of the person to be examined. If the person to be examined under this subsection refuses to permit the examination to be made, the director may order any lessor that receives services from the person refusing the examination to:         (1) discontinue receiving one (1) or more services from the person; or
        (2) otherwise cease conducting business with the person.
As added by P.L.254-1987, SEC.1. Amended by P.L.138-1990, SEC.13; P.L.172-1997, SEC.13; P.L.35-2010, SEC.92.

IC 24-7-7-3
Assurance of discontinuance of misconduct
     Sec. 3. If it is claimed that a person has engaged in conduct subject to an order by the department or by a court under this chapter, the department may accept an assurance in writing that the person will not engage in the conduct in the future. If a person giving an assurance of discontinuance fails to comply with its terms, the assurance is evidence that before the assurance the person engaged in the conduct described in the assurance.
As added by P.L.254-1987, SEC.1. Amended by P.L.172-1997, SEC.14.

IC 24-7-7-4
Repealed
    (Repealed by P.L.138-1990, SEC.15.)