HAMPDEN – A new hearing date has been set for the case of a Hampden woman accused of operating a mortgage business without state authority.

Shellie Robinson, whose handling of a loan application left a family of five homeless, and nearly resulted in a second family becoming homeless, is scheduled to appear next week at a hearing before state officials to respond to allegations that she has been doing business without state authorization.

The hearing’s purpose is to determine whether Robinson or her company, Creative Financial Solutions, violated the provisions of the Maine Consumer Credit Code.

The hearing, originally scheduled for Aug. 27, was postponed to Tuesday to give Robinson time to retain legal counsel and to give state officials the opportunity to look at new information they received.

The proceedings will take place at the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation in Gardiner, unless the matter is resolved before then, according to an Office of Consumer Credit Regulation spokesman.

Bangor attorney Paul Weeks, who is representing Robinson, had no comment on the matter Wednesday. He did say that he and his client were discussing the matter with the consumer credit regulation office.

Under state law, nonbank lenders must be licensed by, and brokers registered with, the state. Both are subject to state regulation and oversight.

David Stetson of the Office of Consumer Credit Regulation this week urged would-be homebuyers contemplating loans from nonbank lenders to check with the office or its Web site to ensure the lenders were authorized to do business in Maine.

In notices issued to Robinson last month, regulators cited allegations that Robinson acted as a supervised lender and as a credit services agency without state authority and failed to comply with the legal requirements for operating as either.

State officials looking into the matter said that, in general, those found in violation of the consumer credit code may be ordered to cease and desist the unlawful activity. The payment of costs also may be required. If warranted, the Attorney General’s Office could become involved.

The allegations stem from Robinson’s business dealings with Michelle Paquette and her partner, Tina Paquette, of Augusta, and Michelle and Wagner De Oliveira of Bangor.

The Paquettes, who have children ages 8, 11 and 13, signed on June 26 a loan commitment agreement, prepared by Robinson, for $85,000 at 8.25 percent interest over 360 months. The loan was to be used to buy a home in Augusta.

Assured by Robinson that the financing was in place, the Paquettes gave their landlord in Westbrook notice and began preparations to move.

After Robinson failed to show up twice for closings in July, it became clear to the Paquettes that there was no loan and that the family could not move into the house Robinson promised them. The family has since been homeless.

After the Paquettes went public with their plight, a Bangor realtor came forward with information about a nearly identical situation involving Robinson’s dealings with the De Oliveiras, the parents of a 7-year-old and 4-year-old twins. The agreement Robinson prepared for them was for a $95,500 loan at the same terms offered to the Paquettes.

Michelle De Oliveira said last month that Robinson repeatedly assured her – as late as July 25 – the deal was on track. When Robinson told the couple the details were in place and they could give their landlord notice, they did. De Oliveira and her realtor, Mark Beal of ERA Dawson-Bradford in Bangor, said Robinson called them two days before the scheduled closing to tell them that the money was no longer available.

In an effort to salvage the deal, Beal negotiated a two-week extension and worked with a Bangor mortgage company and title attorney to put a new loan together.