Grounds for denial, suspension, revocation, or refusal to renew license or appointment.

The department shall deny, suspend, revoke, or refuse to renew or continue the license or appointment of any title insurance agent or agency, and it shall suspend or revoke the eligibility to hold a license or appointment of such person, if it finds that as to the applicant, licensee, appointee, or any principal thereof, any one or more of the following grounds exist:

(1) Lack of one or more of the qualifications for the license or appointment as specified in ss. 626.8417, 626.8418, and 626.8419.

(2) Material misstatement, misrepresentation, or fraud in obtaining, or attempting to obtain, the license or appointment.

(3) Willful misrepresentation of any title insurance policy or commitment, or willful deception with regard to any such policy or commitment, done either in person or by any form of dissemination of information or advertising.

(4) Demonstrated lack of fitness or trustworthiness to represent a title insurer in the issuance of its commitments or policies of title insurance.

(5) Demonstrated lack of reasonably adequate knowledge and technical competence to engage in the transactions authorized by the license or appointment.

(6) Fraudulent or dishonest practices in the conduct of business under the license or appointment.

(7) Misappropriation, conversion, or unlawful withholding of moneys belonging to title insurers or insureds or others and received in conduct of business under the license or appointment.

(8) Misappropriation, conversion, or improper withholding of funds to which such person is not legally entitled and which are received in a fiduciary capacity and held as part of an escrow agreement or real estate sales contract, or as provided on a settlement statement in a real estate transaction.

(9) Unlawful rebating, or attempting to unlawfully rebate, or unlawfully dividing, or offering to unlawfully divide, title insurance premiums, fees, or charges with another, as prohibited by s. 626.9541(1)(h)3.

(10) Willful failure to comply with, or willful violation of, any proper order or rule of the department or willful violation of any provision of the Florida Insurance Code.

(11) The licensee if an individual, or the partners if a partnership, or owner if a sole proprietorship, or the officers if a corporation, having been found guilty of or having pleaded guilty or nolo contendere to a felony or a crime punishable by imprisonment of 1 year or more under the law of the United States or of any state or under the law of any other country which involves moral turpitude, without regard to whether a judgment of conviction has been entered by the court having jurisdiction of such cases.

(12) Failure to timely submit data as required by s. 627.782.

(13) Revocation or cancellation of a licensee’s resident license in a jurisdiction other than this state.