(A)(1) The Ohio real estate commission or the superintendent of real estate may commence, at any time within three years from the date on which an alleged violation of a provision of this or another chapter of the Revised Code occurred, any investigation that relates to the conduct of a licensed real estate broker, real estate salesperson, foreign real estate dealer, or foreign real estate salesperson, that is authorized pursuant to section 1349.11, 4735.051, 4735.052, or 4735.18, or any other section of the Revised Code, and that is for purposes of determining whether a licensee, unlicensed person, or unlicensed entity has violated a provision of this or another chapter of the Revised Code and whether, as a consequence, a licensee’s license should be suspended or revoked, or other disciplinary action taken, as provided in this or another chapter of the Revised Code. If such an investigation is not commenced within the three-year period, it shall be barred, and neither the commission nor the superintendent shall suspend or revoke the license of any licensee, or take other disciplinary action against any licensee, unlicensed person, or unlicensed entity because of the alleged violation of a provision of this or another chapter of the Revised Code that could have been the subject of the barred investigation.

Terms Used In Ohio Code 4735.32

  • Another: when used to designate the owner of property which is the subject of an offense, includes not only natural persons but also every other owner of property. See Ohio Code 1.02
  • Common law: The legal system that originated in England and is now in use in the United States. It is based on judicial decisions rather than legislative action.
  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • Foreign real estate: means real estate not situated in this state and any interest in real estate not situated in this state. See Ohio Code 4735.01
  • Foreign real estate dealer: includes any person, partnership, association, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, or corporation, foreign or domestic, who for another, whether pursuant to a power of attorney or otherwise, and who for a fee, commission, or other valuable consideration, or with the intention, or in the expectation, or upon the promise of receiving or collecting a fee, commission, or other valuable consideration, does or deals in any act or transaction specified or comprehended in division (A) of this section with respect to foreign real estate. See Ohio Code 4735.01
  • Foreign real estate salesperson: means any person associated with a licensed foreign real estate dealer to do or deal in any act or transaction specified or comprehended in division (A) of this section with respect to foreign real estate, for compensation or otherwise. See Ohio Code 4735.01
  • Licensee: means any individual licensed as a real estate broker or salesperson by the Ohio real estate commission pursuant to this chapter. See Ohio Code 4735.01
  • Person: includes an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, and association. See Ohio Code 1.59
  • Real estate: includes leaseholds as well as any and every interest or estate in land situated in this state, whether corporeal or incorporeal, whether freehold or nonfreehold, and the improvements on the land, but does not include cemetery interment rights. See Ohio Code 4735.01
  • Real estate broker: includes any person, partnership, association, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, or corporation, foreign or domestic, who for another, whether pursuant to a power of attorney or otherwise, and who for a fee, commission, or other valuable consideration, or with the intention, or in the expectation, or upon the promise of receiving or collecting a fee, commission, or other valuable consideration does any of the following:

    (1) Sells, exchanges, purchases, rents, or leases, or negotiates the sale, exchange, purchase, rental, or leasing of any real estate;

    (2) Offers, attempts, or agrees to negotiate the sale, exchange, purchase, rental, or leasing of any real estate;

    (3) Lists, or offers, attempts, or agrees to list, or auctions, or offers, attempts, or agrees to auction, any real estate;

    (4) Buys or offers to buy, sells or offers to sell, or otherwise deals in options on real estate;

    (5) Operates, manages, or rents, or offers or attempts to operate, manage, or rent, other than as custodian, caretaker, or janitor, any building or portions of buildings to the public as tenants;

    (6) Advertises or holds self out as engaged in the business of selling, exchanging, purchasing, renting, or leasing real estate;

    (7) Directs or assists in the procuring of prospects or the negotiation of any transaction, other than mortgage financing, which does or is calculated to result in the sale, exchange, leasing, or renting of any real estate;

    (8) Is engaged in the business of charging an advance fee or contracting for collection of a fee in connection with any contract whereby the broker undertakes primarily to promote the sale, exchange, purchase, rental, or leasing of real estate through its listing in a publication issued primarily for such purpose, or for referral of information concerning such real estate to brokers, or both, except that this division does not apply to a publisher of listings or compilations of sales of real estate by their owners;

    (9) Collects rental information for purposes of referring prospective tenants to rental units or locations of such units and charges the prospective tenants a fee. See Ohio Code 4735.01

  • Real estate salesperson: means any person associated with a licensed real estate broker to do or to deal in any acts or transactions set out or comprehended by the definition of a real estate broker, for compensation or otherwise. See Ohio Code 4735.01
  • Revoked: means the license status in which the license is void and not eligible for reactivation. See Ohio Code 4735.01
  • state: means the state of Ohio. See Ohio Code 1.59
  • superintendent of real estate: means the superintendent of the division of real estate and professional licensing of this state. See Ohio Code 4735.01

(2) For purposes of division (A)(1) of this section, if an investigation that is authorized by section 4735.051 of the Revised Code is involved, it shall be considered to be commenced as of the date on which a person files the complaint with the division of real estate.

(B) This section does not affect any criminal or civil liability that a licensed real estate broker, real estate salesperson, foreign real estate dealer, or foreign real estate salesperson, or any unlicensed person, may have under this or another chapter of the Revised Code or under the common law of this state.