(1) Any person who meets all of the conditions prescribed in s. 475.482(1) or (2) may apply to the commission to cause payment to be made to such person from the Real Estate Recovery Fund:
(a) Under s. 475.482(1), in an amount equal to the unsatisfied portion of such person’s judgment or $50,000, whichever is less, but only to the extent and amount reflected in the judgment as being actual or compensatory damages. Except as provided in s. 475.483, treble damages, court costs, attorney’s fees, and interest shall not be recovered from the fund.
(b) Under s. 475.482(2), in an amount equal to the judgment against the broker or sales associate or $50,000, whichever is less.
(2) Upon receipt by a claimant under paragraph (1)(a) of payment from the Real Estate Recovery Fund, the claimant shall assign her or his additional right, title, and interest in the judgment, to the extent of such payment, to the commission, and thereupon the commission shall be subrogated to the right, title, and interest of the claimant; and any amount subsequently recovered on the judgment by the commission, to the extent of the right, title, and interest of the commission therein, shall be for the purpose of reimbursing the Real Estate Recovery Fund.
(3) Payments for claims arising out of the same transaction shall be limited, in the aggregate, to $50,000, regardless of the number of claimants or parcels of real estate involved in the transaction.
(4) Payments for claims based upon judgments against any one broker or sales associate may not exceed, in the aggregate, $150,000.
(5) If at any time the moneys in the Real Estate Recovery Fund are insufficient to satisfy any valid claim or portion thereof, the commission shall satisfy such unpaid claim or portion thereof as soon as a sufficient amount of money has been deposited in or transferred to the fund. When there is more than one unsatisfied claim outstanding, such claims shall be paid in the order in which the claims were approved by the commission. However, if the total claims approved at any one commission meeting exceed the aggregate amount established in subsection (4) against any one broker or sales associate, the claims approved on that day shall be prorated.
(6) All payments and disbursements from the Real Estate Recovery Fund shall be made by the Chief Financial Officer upon a voucher signed by the secretary of the department.
(7) Upon the payment of any amount from the Real Estate Recovery Fund in settlement of a claim in satisfaction of a judgment against a broker or sales associate as described in s. 475.482(1), the license of such broker or sales associate shall be automatically suspended upon the date of payment from the fund. The license of such broker or sales associate may not be reinstated until the licensee has repaid in full, plus interest, the amount paid from the fund. No further administrative action is necessary. A discharge of bankruptcy does not relieve a licensee from the penalties and disabilities provided in this section, except to the extent that this subsection conflicts with 11 U.S.C. s. 525, in which case the commission may order the license not to be suspended or otherwise discriminated against.
History.—s. 1, ch. 76-74; s. 3, ch. 76-168; s. 1, ch. 77-174; s. 1, ch. 77-457; ss. 37, 42, 43, ch. 79-239; ss. 4, 5, ch. 80-307; ss. 2, 3, ch. 81-318; ss. 36, 38, ch. 82-1; s. 64, ch. 83-329; ss. 23, 28, 30, ch. 88-20; s. 6, ch. 89-76; s. 10, ch. 91-89; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 21, ch. 93-261; s. 146, ch. 94-119; s. 379, ch. 97-103; s. 17, ch. 98-250; s. 48, ch. 2003-164; s. 506, ch. 2003-261; s. 55, ch. 2005-152.