1. Any person, firm, partnership, corporation, company, or association representing in any manner that the state, the commission or any officer thereof has recommended or acquiesced in the recommendation of the purchase of any subdivided land offered for sale or lease, in advertising or offering such subdivided land for sale or lease, shall be guilty of a serious misdemeanor.

Attorney's Note

Under the Iowa Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
Serious misdemeanorup to 1 yearbetween $430 and $2,560
For details, see Iowa Code§ 903.1

Terms Used In Iowa Code 543C.5

  • Advertisement: means the attempt by dissemination, solicitation, or circulation to directly or indirectly induce any person to enter into any obligation or acquire any title or interest in land offered for sale or lease to the public in this state. See Iowa Code 543C.1
  • Commission: means the real estate commission as established by chapter 543B. See Iowa Code 543C.1
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
  • Money: means the same as defined in section 554. See Iowa Code 554E.1
  • Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
  • person: means individual, corporation, limited liability company, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership or association, or any other legal entity. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • property: includes personal and real property. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Sale: means any sale, offer for sale, or attempt to sell or lease any land, to the public in this state, for cash or on credit. See Iowa Code 543C.1
  • state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" may include the said district and territories. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Subdivided land: means improved or unimproved land divided or proposed to be divided for the purpose of sale or lease into five or more lots or parcels, or additions or parts of lots or parcels; however, subdivided land does not include a subdivision subject to section 306. See Iowa Code 543C.1
 2. Any person, officer, director, agent, or employee of a person, company, firm, partnership, association, or corporation offering to sell or lease, or selling or leasing, subdivided land prior to the filing of the offering statement and the application required by this chapter shall be guilty of a serious misdemeanor.
 3. Except as provided in subsection 2, every person, officer, director, agent, or employee of a person, company, firm, partnership, corporation, or association who authorizes, directs, or aids in the publication, advertisement, distribution, or circulation of any device, scheme, or artifice for obtaining money or property by means of any false pretense, representation, or promise concerning any subdivided land offered for sale or lease, and every person, officer, director, agent, or employee of a company, firm, partnership, corporation, or association who makes or attempts to make fictitious or pretended purchases or sales of subdivided lands in this state, or in any other respect willfully violates or fails to comply with any of the provisions of this chapter, or omits or neglects to obey, observe, or comply with any order, permit, decision, demand, or requirement of the commission under the provisions of this chapter, is guilty of a serious misdemeanor.