Victorian Current Acts

CREDIT (ADMINISTRATION) ACT 1984 - SECT 27

    (1)     For the purpose of monitoring compliance with the Credit Acts or regulations under those Acts or an order made by a court or tribunal under a Credit Act or regulations made under a Credit Act, an inspector may, subject to subsection (2)—

        (a)     enter and search any premises at which the inspector believes, on reasonable grounds—

              (i)     a person is conducting business or supplying goods or services; or

              (ii)     a person is keeping a record or document that is required to be kept by a Credit Act or regulations made under a Credit Act or that may show whether or not the Act or regulations are being complied with;

        (b)     examine anything found on the premises;

        (c)     take and keep samples of anything found on the premises if the inspector believes, on reasonable grounds, that it is connected with a contravention of a Credit Act or regulations made under a Credit Act;

        (d)     seize anything found on the premises or secure anything found on the premises against interference, if the inspector believes, on reasonable grounds, that it is connected with a contravention of a Credit Act or regulations made under a Credit Act;

        (e)     examine and test any equipment found on the premises that is of a kind used in connection with the supply of goods or services;

        (f)     in the case of any document on the premises, do all or any of the following—

              (i)     require the document to be produced for examination;

              (ii)     examine, make copies or take extracts from the document, or arrange for the making of copies or the taking of extracts to be done on the premises or elsewhere;

              (iii)     remove the document for so long as is reasonably necessary to make copies or take extracts from the document;

        (g)     make any still or moving image or audio-visual recording;

        (h)     bring any equipment onto the premises that the inspector believes, on reasonable grounds, is necessary for the examination or processing of things (including documents) found at the premises in order to determine whether they are things that may be seized under this section.

    (2)     An inspector—

        (a)     must not exercise a power under subsection (1) in any part of the premises that is used for residential purposes; and

        (b)     must not exercise a power under subsection (1), except between the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., or when the premises are open for business.

    (3)     If an inspector exercises a power of entry under this section without the owner or occupier being present the inspector must, on leaving the premises, leave a notice setting out—

        (a)     the time of entry; and

        (b)     the purpose of entry; and

        (c)     a description of things done while on the premises; and

        (d)     the time of departure; and

        (e)     the procedure for contacting the Director for further details of the entry.

New s. 28 inserted by No. 17/1999 s. 7.