(a) Within ten days of service
or within fourteen days of mailing of a subpena, summons, or formal
written request, a customer may file a motion to quash an administrative
summons or judicial subpena, or an application to enjoin a Government
authority from obtaining financial records pursuant to a formal written
request, with copies served upon the Government authority. A motion
to quash a judicial subpena shall be filed in the court which issued
the subpena. A motion to quash an administrative summons or an application
to enjoin a Government authority from obtaining records pursuant to
a formal written request shall be filed in the appropriate United
States district court. Such motion or application shall contain an
affidavit or sworn statement—
(1) stating that the applicant is a customer
of the financial institution from which financial records pertaining
to him have been sought; and
(2) stating the applicant’s reasons for
believing that the financial records sought are not relevant to the
legitimate law enforcement inquiry stated by the Government authority
in its notice, or that there has not been substantial compliance with the provisions
of this title.
Service
shall be made under this section upon a Government authority by delivering
or mailing by registered or certified mail a copy of the papers to
the person, office, or department specified in the notice which the
customer has received pursuant to this title. For the purposes of
this section, “delivery” has the meaning stated in rule 5(b) of the
Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
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(b) If the court
finds that the customer has complied with subsection (a), it shall
order the Government authority to file a sworn response, which may
be filed in camera if the Government includes in its response the
reasons which make in camera review appropriate. If the court is unable
to determine the motion or application on the basis of the parties’
initial allegations and response, the court may conduct such additional
proceedings as it deems appropriate. All such proceedings shall be
completed and the motion or application decided within seven calendar
days of the fil- ing of the Government’s response.
(c) If the court finds that the applicant is not the customer to
whom the financial records sought by the Government authority pertain,
or that there is a demonstrable reason to believe that the law enforcement
inquiry is legitimate and a reasonable belief that the records sought
are relevant to that inquiry, it shall deny the motion or application,
and, in the case of an administrative summons or court order other
than a search warrant, order such process enforced. If the court finds
that the applicant is the customer to whom the records sought by the
Government authority pertain, and that there is not a demonstrable
reason to believe that the law enforcement inquiry is legitimate and
a reasonable belief that the records sought are relevant to that inquiry,
or that there has not been substantial compliance with the provisions
of this title, it shall order the process quashed or shall enjoin
the Government authority’s formal written request.
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(d) A court ruling denying a motion or application under this section
shall not be deemed a final order and no interlocutory appeal may
be taken therefrom by the customer. An appeal of a ruling denying
a motion or application under this section may be taken by the customer
(1) within such period of time as provided by law as part of any appeal
from a final order in any legal proceeding initiated against him arising
out of or based upon the financial records, or (2) within thirty days
after a notification that no legal proceeding is contemplated against
him. The Government authority obtaining the financial records shall
promptly notify a customer when a determination has been made that
no legal proceeding against him is contemplated. After one hundred
and eighty days from the denial of the motion of application, if the
Government authority obtaining the records has not initiated such
a proceeding, a supervisory official of the Government authority shall
certify to the appropriate court that no such determination has been
made. The court may require that such certifications be made, at reasonable
intervals thereafter, until either notification to the customer has
occurred or a legal proceeding is initiated as described in clause
(A).
(e) The challenge procedures of this title
constitute the sole judicial remedy available to a customer to oppose
disclosure of financial records pursuant to this title.
(f) Nothing in this title shall enlarge or restrict any
rights of a financial institution to challenge requests for records
made by a Government authority under existing law. Nothing in this
title shall entitle a customer to assert the rights of a financial
institution.
[12 USC 3410.]