TITLE 24

Professions and Occupations

CHAPTER 44. Manufactured Home Installation

Subchapter V. Disciplinary Proceedings

§ 4441. Grounds for discipline.

(a) A practitioner licensed or certified under this chapter shall be subject to disciplinary actions set forth in § 4443 of this title, if, after a hearing, the Board finds that the practitioner:

(1) Has employed or knowingly cooperated in fraud or material deception in order to acquire a license as a manufactured home installer or a certificate as a manufactured home installation inspector; has impersonated another person holding a license or certificate, or allowed another person to use that manufactured home installer’s license or manufactured home installation inspector’s certificate, or aided or abetted a person not licensed as a manufactured home installer or certified as a manufactured home installation inspector to represent himself or herself as a manufactured home installer or manufactured home installation inspector.

(2) Has illegally, incompetently or negligently practiced manufactured home installation or manufactured home installation inspection.

(3) Has been convicted of a crime that is substantially related to the practice of manufactured home installation or manufactured home installation inspection. A copy of the record of conviction certified by the clerk of the court entering the conviction shall be conclusive evidence thereof.

(4) Has excessively used or abused drugs either in the past 2 years or currently; excessive use or abuse of drugs shall mean any use of narcotics, controlled substances, or illegal drugs without a prescription from a licensed practitioner, or the abuse of alcoholic beverage such that it impairs the practitioner’s ability to perform the work of a manufactured home installer or manufactured home installation inspector.

(5) Has violated a lawful provision of this chapter, or any lawful regulation established thereunder.

(6) Has had that practitioner’s manufactured home installer’s license or manufactured home installation inspector’s certificate suspended or revoked, or other disciplinary action taken by the appropriate licensing authority in another jurisdiction; provided, however, that the underlying grounds for such action in another jurisdiction have been presented to the Board by certified record; and the Board has determined that the facts found by the appropriate authority in the other jurisdiction constitute 1 or more of the acts defined in this chapter. Every person licensed as a manufactured home installer or certified as a manufactured home installation inspector in this State shall be deemed to have given consent to the release of this information by the Board or other comparable agencies in another jurisdiction, and to have waived all objections to the admissibility of previously adjudicated evidence of such acts or offenses.

(7) Has failed to notify the Board that the manufactured home installer’s license or manufactured home installation inspector’s certificate in another state has been subject to discipline, or has been surrendered, suspended, or revoked. A certified copy of the record of disciplinary action, surrender, suspension or revocation shall be conclusive evidence thereof.

(8) Has failed to comply with a lawful board order.

(b) Subject to the provisions of subchapter IV of Chapter 101 of Title 29, no license or certificate shall be restricted, suspended, or revoked by the Board, and no practitioner’s right to practice manufactured home installation or manufactured home installation inspection shall be limited by the Board until such practitioner has been given notice, and an opportunity to be heard, in accordance with the Administrative Procedures Act, Chapter 101 of Title 29. Notice shall be accomplished by mail to the last address of record provided by the practitioner. It is the practitioner’s responsibility to notify the Division of a change of address within 15 days of that change.

75 Del. Laws, c. 213, §  170 Del. Laws, c. 186, §  179 Del. Laws, c. 171, §  1

§ 4442. Hearing procedures.

(a) If a complaint is filed with the Board pursuant to § 8735 of Title 29 alleging violation of § 4441 of this title, the Board shall set a time and place to conduct a hearing on the complaint. Notice of the hearing shall be given and the hearing shall be conducted in accordance with the Administrative Procedures Act, Chapter 101 of Title 29.

(b) Where the practitioner is in disagreement with the action of the Board, the practitioner may appeal the Board’s decision to the Superior Court within 30 days of the day that notice of the decision is mailed, in accordance with the Administrative Procedures Act, § 10142 of Title 29.

75 Del. Laws, c. 213, §  179 Del. Laws, c. 171, §  1

§ 4443. Disciplinary sanctions.

(a) The Board may impose any of the following sanctions, singly or in combination, when it finds that 1 or more of the conditions or violations set forth in § 4441 of this title applies to a practitioner:

(1) Issue a letter of reprimand;

(2) Place the practitioner on probationary status and require the practitioner to:

a. Report regularly to the Board upon the matters which are the basis for the probation; and/or

b. Limit all practice and professional activities to those areas prescribed by the Board.

(3) Impose a monetary penalty as set forth in § 4445(c) of this title;

(4) Suspend any practitioner’s license or certificate.

(5) Revoke or permanently revoke any practitioner’s license or certificate.

(b) The Board may withdraw or reduce conditions of probation when it finds that deficiencies requiring such action have been remedied.

(c) Where the Board has placed a practitioner on probationary status under certain restrictions or conditions and the Board has determined that such restrictions or conditions are being or have been violated by the practitioner, it may, after a hearing on the matter, suspend or revoke the practitioner’s license or certificate.

79 Del. Laws, c. 171, §  1

§ 4444. Temporary suspension pending hearing.

In the event of a formal or informal complaint concerning the activity of a licensee that presents a clear and immediate danger to the public health, the Board may temporarily suspend the person’s license, pending a hearing, upon the written order of the Secretary of State or the Secretary’s designee, with the concurrence of the Board chair or the Board chair’s designee. An order temporarily suspending a license may not be issued unless the person or the person’s attorney received at least 24 hours’ written or oral notice before the temporary suspension so that the person or the person’s attorney may file a written response to the proposed suspension. The decision as to whether to issue the temporary order of suspension will be decided on the written submissions. An order of temporary suspension pending a hearing may remain in effect for no longer than 60 days from the date of the issuance of the order unless the temporarily suspended person requests a continuance of the hearing date. If the temporarily suspended person requests a continuance, the order of temporary suspension remains in effect until the hearing is convened and a decision is rendered by the Board. A person whose license has been temporarily suspended pursuant to this section may request an expedited hearing. The Board shall schedule the hearing on an expedited basis, provided that the Board receives the request within 5 calendar days from the date on which the person received notification of the decision to temporarily suspend the person’s license.

79 Del. Laws, c. 171, §  1

§ 4445. Penalties.

(a) Where the Board has determined, upon notice and hearing pursuant to Chapter 101 of Title 29 that a person is engaged in the practice of manufactured home installation or manufactured home installation inspection regulated by this chapter without having lawfully obtained a license or certificate or that a person previously licensed or certified under this chapter is engaged in a practice regulated by this chapter notwithstanding that the person’s license or certificate has been suspended or revoked, the Board may issue a cease and desist order. In addition to the power to issue a cease and desist order, the Board may seek an injunctive order prohibiting such unlawful practice and/or seek the imposition of other civil penalties defined by this chapter.

(b) Upon notice and hearing pursuant to Chapter 101 of Title 29, the Board may fine any person who violates such cease and desist order not less than $100 or more than $1,000. Each day a violation continues may be deemed a separate offense in the Board’s discretion.

(c) Any person who violates any provisions of this chapter or any rules or regulations promulgated hereunder shall be liable for a civil penalty of not more than $5,000 for the first offense; and not more than $10,000 for the second and each subsequent offense, which penalty may be sued for, and recovered by, the Board. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent prosecution under, or be inconsistent with, Title 11.

(d) In addition to the sanctions set forth in subsections (a) and (b) of this section, a person, not currently licensed as a manufactured home installer or certified as a manufactured home installation inspector under this chapter, when guilty of performing manufactured home installation or manufactured home installation inspection, or using in connection with that person’s name, or otherwise assuming or using any title or description conveying, or tending to convey, the impression that the person is qualified to perform manufactured home installation or manufactured home installation inspection, such offender shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. Upon the first offense, the person shall be fined not less than $500 nor more than $1,000 for each offense. For a second or subsequent conviction, the fine shall be not less than $1,000 nor more than $2,000 for each offense. Justice of the Peace Courts shall have jurisdiction over all violations of this chapter.

79 Del. Laws, c. 171, §  1