Effective: September 29, 2011
Latest Legislation: House Bill 153 - 129th General Assembly
There is hereby created the Ohio real estate commission, consisting of five members who shall be appointed by the governor, with the advice and consent of the senate. Four members shall have been engaged in the real estate business as licensed real estate brokers in the state for a period of ten years immediately preceding the appointment. One member shall represent the public. Terms of office shall be for five years, commencing on the first day of July and ending on the thirtieth day of June. Each member shall hold office from the date of appointment until the end of the term for which appointed. No more than three members shall be members of any one political party and no member of the commission concurrently may be a member of the commission and the real estate appraiser board created pursuant to section 4763.02 of the Revised Code. Each member, before entering upon the duties of office, shall subscribe to and file with the secretary of state the constitutional oath of office. All vacancies which occur shall be filled in the manner prescribed for the regular appointments to the commission. Any member appointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of the term for which the member's predecessor was appointed shall hold office for the remainder of such term. Any member shall continue in office subsequent to the expiration date of the member's term until the member's successor takes office, or until a period of sixty days has elapsed, whichever occurs first. No member shall hold office for more than two consecutive full terms. Annually, upon the qualification of the member appointed in such year, the commission shall organize by selecting from its members a president and vice-president, and shall do all things necessary and proper to carry out and enforce this chapter. A majority of the members of the commission shall constitute a quorum, but a lesser number may adjourn from time to time. Each member of the commission shall receive an amount fixed pursuant to section 124.14 of the Revised Code for each day employed in the discharge of official duties, and the member's actual and necessary expenses incurred in the discharge of those duties.
The commission or the superintendent of real estate may investigate complaints concerning the violation of section 4735.02 or 4735.25 of the Revised Code and may subpoena witnesses in connection with such investigations as provided in section 4735.04 of the Revised Code. The commission or the superintendent may make application to the appropriate court for an order enjoining the violation of section 4735.02 or 4735.25 of the Revised Code, and upon a showing by the commission or the superintendent that any person, firm, partnership, association, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, or corporation has violated or is about to violate section 4735.02 or 4735.25 of the Revised Code, an injunction, restraining order, or such other order as may be appropriate shall be granted by such court.
The commission shall:
(A) Adopt canons of ethics for the real estate industry;
(B) Upon appeal by any party affected, or may upon its own motion, review any order or application determination of the superintendent, and may reverse, vacate, or modify any order of the superintendent;
(C) Administer the real estate education and research fund and hear appeals from orders of the superintendent regarding claims against that fund or against the real estate recovery fund;
(D) Direct the superintendent on the content, scheduling, instruction, and offerings of real estate courses for salesperson and broker educational requirements;
(E) Disseminate to licensees and the public, information relative to commission activities and decisions;
(F) Notify licensees of changes in state and federal civil rights laws pertaining to discrimination in the purchase or sale of real estate and relevant case law, and inform licensees that they are subject to disciplinary action if they do not comply with the changes;
(G) Publish and furnish to public libraries and to brokers booklets on housing and remedies available to dissatisfied clients under this chapter and Chapter 4112. of the Revised Code;
(H) Provide training to commission members and employees of the division of real estate and professional licensing on issues relative to the real estate industry, which may include but not be limited to investigative techniques, real estate law, and real estate practices and procedures.