Effective: December 5, 1996
Latest Legislation: Senate Bill 214 - 121st General Assembly
(A) No person shall act as a telephone solicitor without having first obtained a surety bond issued by a surety company that holds a certificate of authority to do business in this state issued by the superintendent of insurance under Title XXXIX of the Revised Code, and all of the following conditions are met:
(1) A copy of the bond is filed with the attorney general.
(2) The bond is in favor of any person, and of the state for the benefit of any person, that is injured by any violation of any provision of sections 4719.01 to 4719.18 of the Revised Code or a rule adopted under those sections.
(3) The bond is in the amount of fifty thousand dollars.
(4) The bond is maintained and in effect for at least two years after the date on which the telephone solicitor ceases to engage in telephone solicitations.
(B) Any person making a claim against the bond for a violation of any provision of sections 4719.01 to 4719.18 of the Revised Code or a rule adopted under those sections may maintain a civil action against the telephone solicitor and against the surety company. The surety company is liable only for damages awarded under division (B) of section 4719.15 of the Revised Code and is not liable for attorney's fees awarded under that division or for punitive damages awarded under division (C) of that section. The aggregate liability of the surety company to all persons injured by a telephone solicitor's violation of a provision of sections 4719.01 to 4719.18 of the Revised Code or a rule adopted under those sections shall not exceed the amount of the bond.
(C) A surety company may cancel a telephone solicitor's bond after giving the telephone solicitor and the attorney general written notice of the cancellation at least thirty days before the cancellation takes effect. For two years after the cancellation takes effect, a person may make a claim against the bond under division (B) of this section for a violation that occurred while the bond was in effect.
(D) The attorney general shall provide to a surety company that issues a bond to a telephone solicitor information concerning complaints received by the attorney general against the solicitor for alleged violations of sections 4719.01 to 4719.18 of the Revised Code or a rule adopted under those sections.