10473. Whenever the court proceeds upon an application under Section 10472, it shall order payment out of the Consumer Recovery Account only upon a determination that the aggrieved party has a valid cause of action within the purview of Section 10471, and has complied with Section 10472.
The commissioner may defend any such action on behalf of the Consumer Recovery Account and shall have recourse to all appropriate means of defense and review, including examination of witnesses and the right to relitigate any issues material and relevant in the proceeding against the Consumer Recovery Account which were determined in the underlying action on which the judgment in favor of the applicant was based. If the judgment in favor of the applicant was by default, stipulation, consent, or pursuant to Section 594 of the Code of Civil Procedure, or whenever the action against the licensee was defended by a trustee in bankruptcy, the applicant shall have the burden of proving that the cause of action against the licensee was for fraud, misrepresentation, deceit, or conversion of trust funds. Otherwise, the judgment shall create a rebuttable presumption of the fraud, misrepresentation, deceit, or conversion of trust funds by the licensee, which presumption shall affect the burden of producing evidence.
The commissioner may move the court at any time to dismiss the application when it appears there are no triable issues and the petition is without merit. The motion may be supported by affidavit of any person or persons having knowledge of the facts, and may be made on the basis that the petition, and the judgment referred to therein, does not form the basis for a meritorious recovery claim within the purview of Section 10471; provided, however, the commissioner shall give written notice at least 10 days before the motion.
The commissioner may, subject to court approval, compromise a claim based upon the application of an aggrieved party. The commissioner shall not be bound by any compromise or stipulation of the judgment debtor.
(Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 712, Sec. 24. (SB 706) Effective January 1, 2012.)