Enforcement · OFR · 27 May 2026
The Florida Office of Financial Regulation revoked the money services business license of PayServices, Inc. for failing to pay a $10,000 administrative fine imposed in a prior order. The regulator determined that the respondent's willful misconduct and failure to comply with the order constituted an egregious violation warranting license revocation. The final order concludes the administrative case and directs the respondent to cease and desist from further violations of Florida Statutes Chapter 560.
Index: OFR 2026 - 276
In Re:
PAYSERVICES, INC.,
Respondent.
ST ATE OF FLORIDA
OFFICE OF FINANCIAL REGULATION
Case Number: 125893
FINAL ORDER
This cause came on for consideration and final agency action. Upon review of the complete record in this case, including the attached Recommended Order, and being otherwise fu]ly advised in the premises, the Office of Financial Regulation ("Office") hereby finds:
B. Respondent violated section 560.l 14(1)(u), Florida Statutes, and is subject to discipline as addressed in the Recommended Order.
C. Respondent's money services business license, license number FT230000158, is
REVOKED.
D. Respondent shall CEASE and DESIST from any further violations of chapter 560, Florida Statutes, and the rules promulgated thereto. DONE and ORDERED this ,£ 1 day of May, 2026, in Tallahassee, Leon County, Florida. 2 ~ t Chief Operating Officer Office of Financial Regulation Authorized Signatory By Delegation
NOTICE OF RIGHTS
A PARTY WHO IS ADVERSELY AFFECTED BY THIS FINAL ORDER IS ENTITLED TO JUDICIAL REVIEW PURSUANT TO SECTION 120.68, FLORIDA STATUTES. REVIEW PROCEEDINGS ARE GOVERNED BY THE FLORIDA RULES OF APPELLATE PROCEDURE. SUCH PROCEEDINGS ARE COMMENCED BY FILING THE ORIGINAL NOTICE OF APPEAL WITH THE AGENCY CLERK FOR THE OFFICE OF FINANCIAL REGULATION AS FOLLOWS:
By Mail or Email
Agency Clerk
Office of Financial Regulation
P.O. Box 8050
Tallahassee, Florida 32314-8050
Phone: (850) 410-9889
Agency.Clerk@flofr.gov
OR B Hand Delivery
Agency Clerk
Office of Financial Regulation
General Counsel's Office
The Fletcher Building
101 East Gaines Street, Suite 504
Tallahassee, Florida 32399
Phone: (850) 410-9889
A COPY OF THE NOTICE OF APPEAL, ACCOMPANIED BY THE FILING FEES AS REQUIRED BY LAW, MUST ALSO BE FILED WITH THE DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL, FIRST DISTRICT, 2000 DRAYTON DRIVE, TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA 32399-0950, OR WITH THE DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL IN THE APPELLATE DISTRICT WHERE THE PARTY RESIDES. THE NOTICE OF APPEAL MUST BE FILED WITH BOTH THE AGENCY CLERK FOR THE OFFICE OF FINANCIAL REGULATION AND THE DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL WITHIN 30 DAYS OF THE RENDITION OF THE ORDER TO BE REVIEWED. 3
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I HEREBY CERTIFY that a true and correct copy of the foregoing Final Order was furnished via electronic mail to Respondent, PayServices, Inc. at info@payservices.com and ,--i7t~ lionel@payservices.com, on this _L. ___ day of May, 2026. 4 gen 0 • ce Financial Regulation Office Box 8050 Tallahassee, FL 32314-8050 Email: Agency.Clerk@flofr.gov Tel: (850) 410-9889
STATE OF FLORIDA
OFFICE OF FINANCIAL REGULATION
In Re:
PAYSERVICES, INC., Case Number: 125893
Respondent.
RECOMMENDED ORDER
Pursuant to notice, a hearing was held before the undersigned on March 23, 2026, by Microsoft Teams teleconference. Counsel for Petitioner appeared and presented the testimony of one witness. No representative of Respondent appeared. Counsel for Petitioner:
Joaquin Alvarez, Esq.
Office of Financia1 Regulation
400 W. Robinson Street.
Orlando, FL 32801
STATEMENT OF THE ISSUE
Whether revocation of Respondent's license is the appropriate penalty for the violation charged in the Administrative Complaint. FINDINGS OF FACT
The Office of Financial Regulation ("Office" or "Petitioner") is charged with
administering Chapter 560, Florida Statutes which governs money services businesses.
PayServices, Inc. ("Respondent" or "PayServices") is a licensed money services
business, specificaJly, a money transmitter.
On October 17, 2023, a Final Order in Case No. I 08042 was entered by the Office
ordering Respondent to pay an administrative fine in the amount of$10,000 within 30 days of the issuance of the Order.
On February 7, 2024, a notice was sent to Respondent stating, "Payment in full
must be received by this Office within 5 business days from the date of this notification. Failure to comply will result in an administrative action against your license, up to and including revocation and referral to collections for the unpaid fine."
As of the date of the hearing, Respondent has not paid the fine.
On November 26, 2024, the Office filed an Administrative Complaint against
Respondent alleging that Respondent failed to pay the administrative fine imposed on Respondent pursuant to Final Order issued in Case No. 108042.
On January 28, 2025, Respondent filed an Election of Proceeding disputing
material facts alleged in the Administrative Complaint. On February 11, 2025, the Office referred the matter to the Division of Administrative Hearings ("DOAH").
On April 4, 2025, the Office filed a motion to compel in the DOAH case, requesting
sanctions be issued against Respondent for failure to respond to discovery in the form of Requests for Admissions.
On April 22, 2025, an Order was issued in the DOAH case deeming all facts alleged
in the Request for Admissions to be true.
On May 5, 2025, DOAH determined there were no longer any disputed issues of
material fact in the matter and relinquished jurisdiction to the Office.
On May 14, 2025, the Office granted Petitioner an informal hearing and appointed
the widersigned as the Hearing Officer.
2
On December 2, 2025, an Order Scheduling Hearing was entered and served on
the parties setting a hearing date of March 23, 2026.
On March 20, 2026, Respondent filed a Motion of Non-Appearance stating that
Lionel Danenburg would not be appearing at the hearing.
A hearing was held on March 23, 2026 by Microsoft Teams teleconference. The
Office was represented by Joaquin Alvarez who appeared at the hearing. No representative for Respondent appeared. The Office submitted 13 exhibits which were entered into evidence without objection.
Brandi Smith, the Chief of the Bureau of Enforcement, Division of Consumer
Finance testified. As part of her assigned job duties, Ms. Smith makes recommendations about the appropriate penalty to impose for violations of the consumer finance laws.
When asked "What happens after a licensee fails to pay a demand letter," Ms.
Smith answered, "We're going to make a referral to legal and request that they seek revocation." She testified that failure to comply with an Order issued by the Office was an "egregious" violation and that license revocation was the only appropriate penalty for the violation. CONCLUSIONS OF LAW
Section 560.114(1), F.S. states that failure to comply with any provision of this
chapter or related rule or order, or any written agreement entered into with the office "constitute
grounds for the issuance of a cease and desist order; the issuance of a removal order; the denial, suspension, or revocation of a license; or taking any other action within the authority of the office pursuant to this chapter."
The Office's Final Order in Case No. I 08042 ordered Respondent to pay a $10,000
fine. Respondent's failure to pay the fine constitutes failure to comply with an order, giving the Office authority to take action against the Respondent. 3
The Disciplinary Guidelines for Money Services Businesses, Form OFR-560-09,
which is incorporated by reference in Rule 69V-560.1000(1 ), Florida Administrative Code (2023), provides that the guidelines for a first time offense for this violation are: an A level fine, an A level suspension, or revocation.
The mitigating and aggravating circumstances in Rule 69V-560.1000(3), Florida
Administrative Code were considered in determining if license revocation is an appropriate penalty. Respondent presented no mitigating evidence. The aggravating factors that the violation was the result of willful misconduct and other case-specific circumstances are applicable. A casespecific circumstance considered is the length of time that Respondent has knowingly continued to violate the Office's order. RECOMMENDATION For the reasons above, it is recommended that Respondent's money transmitter license be Revoked. Respectfully Submitted this 5th day of May, 2026 P~Shoewtake,r PAIGE SHOEMAKER Hearing Officer Office of Financial Regulation 200 E. Gaines Street Tallahassee, FL 32399-0379 4
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I HEREBY CERTIFY that a true and correct copy of the foregoing Recommended Order has been furnished to PayServices, Inc., c/o Lionel Danenberg, at lionel@payservices.com and Joaquin Alvarez at Joaquin.Alvarez@flofr.gov on the ~ day of May, 2026. 5 e 0 • ancial Regulation
• o Offic Box 8050
Ta=,._..-ee, FL 32314
Email: Agency.Clerk@flofr.gov
Tel: (850) 410-9889
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