Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter to the contrary, the director of agriculture may, within the director’s discretion, make a payment out of the auction recovery fund to a person without first requiring the person to obtain a prior order issued by the director or by a court of competent jurisdiction if all of the following apply:

Terms Used In Ohio Code 4707.31

  • agriculture: includes farming; ranching; aquaculture; algaculture meaning the farming of algae; apiculture and related apicultural activities, production of honey, beeswax, honeycomb, and other related products; horticulture; viticulture, winemaking, and related activities; animal husbandry, including, but not limited to, the care and raising of livestock, equine, and fur-bearing animals; poultry husbandry and the production of poultry and poultry products; dairy production; the production of field crops, tobacco, fruits, vegetables, nursery stock, ornamental shrubs, ornamental trees, flowers, sod, or mushrooms; timber; pasturage; any combination of the foregoing; the processing, drying, storage, and marketing of agricultural products when those activities are conducted in conjunction with, but are secondary to, such husbandry or production; and any additions or modifications to the foregoing made by the director of agriculture by rule adopted in accordance with Chapter 119 of the Revised Code. See Ohio Code 1.61
  • Auction: includes a sale of real or personal property, goods, or chattels in which there has been a solicitation or invitation by advertisement to the public for an advance in bidding using sealed bidding, provided that the bids are opened and there is a call for an advancement of the bids. See Ohio Code 4707.01
  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Person: means an individual, sole proprietor, corporation, limited liability company, association, or partnership. See Ohio Code 4707.01

(A) The person claims to have sustained total actual and direct losses in the amount of one thousand dollars or less.

(B) The losses are associated with an act or transaction that only a person licensed under this chapter lawfully may perform.

(C) The licensee allegedly has engaged in actions that are described in section 4707.15 of the Revised Code or that otherwise violate this chapter or rules adopted under it.

(D) The amount of the alleged loss is readily ascertainable rather than speculative in nature.

(E) The claimant filed a properly notarized complaint with supporting documentation to the department not later than one year following the date of the alleged wrongful actions of the licensee.

(F) The department, within its discretion, determines that, based upon the evidence presented, justice would be better served by allowing compensation to be paid without first requiring the aggrieved party to obtain a judgment from a court of competent jurisdiction or an order of the department.