Opinion ID: 2823842
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: UCCC Administrative Subpoena Issuance Authority

Text: Â¶12Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â The State contends that (1) the UCCC confers express authority for the Administrator, whom the Attorney General represents, to issue administrative investigatory subpoenas, and (2) Colorado courts have authority under this statute to enforce these subpoenas equally with regard to resident and nonresident persons doing business within the State of Colorado who are suspected of conduct violating this statute. We agree. Â¶13Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Titled âInvestigatory powers,â section 5-6-106 of the UCCC provides, in part: (1) If the administrator has reasonable cause to believe that a person has engaged in an act that is subject to action by the administrator, the administrator may make an investigation to determine if the act has been committed, and, to the extent necessary for this purpose, . . . may subpoena witnesses, compel their attendance, adduce evidence, 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. (2) If the person's records are located outside this state, the person at his or her option shall either make them available to the administrator at a convenient location within this state or pay the reasonable and necessary expenses for the administrator or the administrator's representative toÂ examine them at the place where they are maintained. The administratorÂ may designate representatives, including comparable officials of the state in which the records are located, to inspect them on the administrator's behalf. (3) Upon failure without lawful excuse to obey a subpoena or to giveÂ testimony, the administrator may apply to the district court for an orderÂ compelling compliance. Â§ 5-6-106 (emphasis added). Â¶14Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â The General Assembly enacted the UCCC to, inter alia, âprotect consumer buyers, lessees, and borrowers against unfair practices by some suppliers of consumer credit.â Â§ 5-1-102(2)(d), C.R.S. (2014). It intended a liberal construction of the UCCC promoting the statuteâs underlying purposes and policies. Â§ 5-1-102(1); State ex rel.Â Salazar v. Cash Now Store, Inc., 31 P.3d 161, 166 (Colo. 2001). Â¶15Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â The plain language of the UCCC makes clear that the Administrator may issue subpoenas against nonresidents conducting business within the State. Section 5-6-106(1) of the UCCC provides that, when the Administrator has âreasonable cause to believe that a person has engaged in an act that is subject to action by the administrator,â the Administrator may investigate and has subpoena authority. In turn, subsection (2) provides that â[i]f the personâs records are located outside thisÂ state,â that person will make the records available to the Administrator in Colorado or will pay the reasonable and necessary expenses for the Administrator to examine them at the place where they are maintained. (Emphasis added). 3 Subsection (3) states thatÂ â[u]pon failure . . . to obey a subpoena . . . the administrator may apply to the district court for an order compelling compliance.â Â¶16Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Accordingly, the Administrator may serve upon any person who is suspected of doing business in the State, in violation of the Code, a subpoena for documents located out-of-state, and a trial court may compel compliance with the subpoena. Taken together, these three provisions of the UCCC demonstrate that (1) the General Assembly intended the Administrator to use subpoenas to obtain documents pursuant to an investigation for violations of the Code; (2) the Administrator can subpoena documents that are located within or outside of Colorado; 4 and (3) a trial court has authority to enforce such a subpoena if a person fails to comply with it.