Effective - 28 Aug 2021, 4 histories
339.100. Investigation of certain practices, procedure — subpoenas — formal complaints — revocation or suspension of licenses — digest may be published — revocation of licenses for certain offenses. — 1. The commission may, upon its own motion, and shall upon receipt of a written complaint filed by any person, investigate any real estate-related activity of a licensee licensed under sections 339.010 to 339.180 and sections 339.710 to 339.860* or an individual or entity acting as or representing themselves as a real estate licensee. In conducting such investigation, if the questioned activity or written complaint involves an affiliated licensee, the commission may forward a copy of the information received to the affiliated licensee's designated broker. The commission shall have the power to hold an investigatory hearing to determine whether there is a probability of a violation of sections 339.010 to 339.180 and sections 339.710 to 339.860*. The commission shall have the power to issue a subpoena to compel the production of records and papers bearing on the complaint. The commission shall have the power to issue a subpoena and to compel any person in this state to come before the commission to offer testimony or any material specified in the subpoena. Subpoenas and subpoenas duces tecum issued pursuant to this section shall be served in the same manner as subpoenas in a criminal case. The fees and mileage of witnesses shall be the same as that allowed in the circuit court in civil cases.
2. The commission may cause a complaint to be filed with the administrative hearing commission as provided by the provisions of chapter 621 against any person or entity licensed under this chapter or any licensee who has failed to renew or has surrendered his or her individual or entity license for any one or any combination of the following acts:
(1) Failure to maintain and deposit in a special account, separate and apart from his or her personal or other business accounts, all moneys belonging to others entrusted to him or her while acting as a real estate broker or as the temporary custodian of the funds of others, until the transaction involved is consummated or terminated, unless all parties having an interest in the funds have agreed otherwise in writing;
(2) Making substantial misrepresentations or false promises or suppression, concealment or omission of material facts in the conduct of his or her business or pursuing a flagrant and continued course of misrepresentation through agents, salespersons, advertising or otherwise in any transaction;
(3) Failing within a reasonable time to account for or to remit any moneys, valuable documents or other property, coming into his or her possession, which belongs to others;
(4) Representing to any lender, guaranteeing agency, or any other interested party, either verbally or through the preparation of false documents, an amount in excess of the true and actual sale price of the real estate or terms differing from those actually agreed upon;
(5) Failure to timely deliver a duplicate original of any and all instruments to any party or parties executing the same where the instruments have been prepared by the licensee or under his or her supervision or are within his or her control, including, but not limited to, the instruments relating to the employment of the licensee or to any matter pertaining to the consummation of a lease, listing agreement or the purchase, sale, exchange or lease of property, or any type of real estate transaction in which he or she may participate as a licensee;
(6) Acting for more than one party in a transaction without the knowledge of all parties for whom he or she acts, or accepting a commission or valuable consideration for services from more than one party in a real estate transaction without the knowledge of all parties to the transaction;
(7) Paying a commission or valuable consideration to any person for acts or services performed in violation of sections 339.010 to 339.180 and sections 339.710 to 339.860*;
(8) Guaranteeing or having authorized or permitted any licensee to guarantee future profits which may result from the resale of real property;
(9) Having been finally adjudicated and been found guilty of the violation of any state or federal statute which governs the sale or rental of real property or the conduct of the real estate business as defined in subsection 1 of section 339.010;
(10) Obtaining a certificate or registration of authority, permit or license for himself or herself or anyone else by false or fraudulent representation, fraud or deceit;
(11) Representing a real estate broker other than the broker with whom associated without the express written consent of the broker with whom associated;
(12) Accepting a commission or valuable consideration for the performance of any of the acts referred to in section 339.010 from any person except the broker with whom associated at the time the commission or valuable consideration was earned;
(13) Using prizes, money, gifts or other valuable consideration as inducement to secure customers or clients to purchase, lease, sell or list property when the awarding of such prizes, money, gifts or other valuable consideration is conditioned upon the purchase, lease, sale or listing; or soliciting, selling or offering for sale real property by offering free lots, or conducting lotteries or contests, or offering prizes for the purpose of influencing a purchaser or prospective purchaser of real property;
(14) Placing a sign on or advertising any property offering it for sale or rent without the written consent of the owner or his or her duly authorized agent;
(15) Violation of, or attempting to violate, directly or indirectly, or assisting or enabling any person to violate, any provision of sections 339.010 to 339.180 and sections 339.710 to 339.860*, or of any lawful rule adopted pursuant to sections 339.010 to 339.180 and sections 339.710 to 339.860*;
(16) Committing any act which would otherwise be grounds for the commission to refuse to issue a license under section 339.040;
(17) Failure to timely inform seller of all written offers unless otherwise instructed in writing by the seller;
(18) Been finally adjudicated and found guilty, or entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere, in a criminal prosecution under the laws of this state or any other state or of the United States, for any offense reasonably related to the qualifications, functions or duties of any profession licensed or regulated under this chapter, or for any offense an essential element of which is fraud, dishonesty or an act of violence, whether or not sentence is imposed;
(19) Any other conduct which constitutes untrustworthy, improper or fraudulent business dealings, demonstrates bad faith or incompetence, misconduct, or gross negligence;
(20) Disciplinary action against the holder of a license or other right to practice any profession regulated under sections 339.010 to 339.180 and sections 339.710 to 339.860* granted by another state, territory, federal agency, or country upon grounds for which revocation, suspension, or probation is authorized in this state;
(21) Been found by a court of competent jurisdiction of having used any controlled substance, as defined in chapter 195, to the extent that such use impairs a person's ability to perform the work of any profession licensed or regulated by sections 339.010 to 339.180 and sections 339.710 to 339.860*;
(22) Been finally adjudged insane or incompetent by a court of competent jurisdiction;
(23) Assisting or enabling any person to practice or offer to practice any profession licensed or regulated under sections 339.010 to 339.180 and sections 339.710 to 339.860* who is not registered and currently eligible to practice under sections 339.010 to 339.180 and sections 339.710 to 339.860*;
(24) Use of any advertisement or solicitation which:
(a) Is knowingly false, misleading or deceptive to the general public or persons to whom the advertisement or solicitation is primarily directed; or
(b) Includes a name or team name that uses the terms "realty", "brokerage", "company", or any other terms that can be construed to advertise a real estate company other than the licensee or a business entity licensed under this chapter with whom the licensee is associated. The context of the advertisement or solicitation may be considered by the commission when determining whether a licensee has committed a violation of this paragraph;
(25) Making any material misstatement, misrepresentation, or omission with regard to any application for licensure or license renewal. As used in this section, "material" means important information about which the commission should be informed and which may influence a licensing decision;
(26) Engaging in, committing, or assisting any person in engaging in or committing mortgage fraud, as defined in section 443.930.
3. After the filing of such complaint, the proceedings will be conducted in accordance with the provisions of law relating to the administrative hearing commission. A finding of the administrative hearing commissioner that the licensee has performed or attempted to perform one or more of the foregoing acts shall be grounds for the suspension or revocation of his license by the commission, or the placing of the licensee on probation on such terms and conditions as the real estate commission shall deem appropriate, or the imposition of a civil penalty by the commission not to exceed two thousand five hundred dollars for each offense. Each day of a continued violation shall constitute a separate offense.
4. The commission may prepare a digest of the decisions of the administrative hearing commission which concern complaints against licensed brokers or salespersons and cause such digests to be mailed to all licensees periodically. Such digests may also contain reports as to new or changed rules adopted by the commission and other information of significance to licensees.
5. Notwithstanding other provisions of this section, a broker or salesperson's license shall be revoked, or in the case of an applicant, shall not be issued, if the licensee or applicant has pleaded guilty to, entered a plea of nolo contendere to, or been found guilty of any of the following offenses or offenses of a similar nature established under the laws of this, any other state, the United States, or any other country, notwithstanding whether sentence is imposed:
(1) Any dangerous felony as defined under section 556.061 or murder in the first degree;
(2) Any of the following sexual offenses: rape in the first degree, forcible rape, rape, statutory rape in the first degree, statutory rape in the second degree, rape in the second degree, sexual assault, sodomy in the first degree, forcible sodomy, statutory sodomy in the first degree, statutory sodomy in the second degree, child molestation in the first degree, child molestation in the second degree, sodomy in the second degree, deviate sexual assault, sexual misconduct involving a child, sexual misconduct in the first degree under section 566.090** as it existed prior to August 28, 2013, sexual abuse under section 566.100 as it existed prior to August 28, 2013, sexual abuse in the first or second degree, enticement of a child, or attempting to entice a child;
(3) Any of the following offenses against the family and related offenses: incest, abandonment of a child in the first degree, abandonment of a child in the second degree, endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree, abuse of a child, using a child in a sexual performance, promoting sexual performance by a child, or trafficking in children;
(4) Any of the following offenses involving child pornography and related offenses: promoting obscenity in the first degree, promoting obscenity in the second degree when the penalty is enhanced to a class E felony, promoting child pornography in the first degree, promoting child pornography in the second degree, possession of child pornography in the first degree, possession of child pornography in the second degree, furnishing child pornography to a minor, furnishing pornographic materials to minors, or coercing acceptance of obscene material; and
(5) Mortgage fraud as defined in section 570.310.
6. A person whose license was revoked under subsection 5 of this section may appeal such revocation to the administrative hearing commission. Notice of such appeal must be received by the administrative hearing commission within ninety days of mailing, by certified mail, the notice of revocation. Failure of a person whose license was revoked to notify the administrative hearing commission of his or her intent to appeal waives all rights to appeal the revocation. Upon notice of such person's intent to appeal, a hearing shall be held before the administrative hearing commission.
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(L. 1941 p. 424 § 10, A.L. 1978 S.B. 811, A.L. 1993 S.B. 18, A.L. 2004 H.B. 985, A.L. 2005 H.B. 174, A.L. 2006 H.B. 1339, A.L. 2007 H.B. 780 merged with S.B. 308, A.L. 2008 H.B. 2188, A.L. 2013 H.B. 215, A.L. 2016 H.B. 2332, A.L. 2020 H.B. 2046, A.L. 2021 H.B. 273 merged with H.B. 476)
*Section 339.860 was repealed by S.B. 613 Revision, 2007.
**Section 566.090 was transferred to 566.101, H.B. 215, 2013
(2010) Section cannot be applied to require mandatory revocation of a license based solely on a criminal proceeding predating the section's effective date, regardless of whether the person was licensed at the time of the criminal proceeding; such an application would violate the ban under Article I, Section 13 against retrospective laws. Missouri Real Estate Commission v. Rayford, 307 S.W.3d 686 (Mo.App. W.D.).