To amend sections 4707.02, 4707.20, 4707.21, and 4707.26 of the Revised Code to exempt certain tax exempt organizations and schools that sell at auction items donated to them from license and contract requirements for such an auction, to require those organizations and schools to maintain records of the auction for two years, and to preclude claims against the Auction Recovery Fund for any loss associated with those types of auctions.

Section 1. That sections 4707.02, 4707.20, 4707.21, and 4707.26 of the Revised Code be amended to read as follows:

Sec. 4707.02.  No person shall act as an auction firm, auctioneer, apprentice auctioneer, or special auctioneer within this state without a license issued by the department of agriculture. No auction shall be conducted in this state except by an auctioneer licensed by the department.

The department shall not issue or renew a license if the applicant or licensee has been convicted of a felony or crime involving fraud or theft in this or another state at any time during the ten years immediately preceding application or renewal.

This section does not apply to any of the following:

(A) Sales at auction that either are required by law to be at auction, other than sales pursuant to a judicial order or decree, or that are conducted by or under the direction of a public authority;

(B) The owner of any real or personal property desiring to sell the property at auction, provided that the property was not acquired for the purpose of resale;

(C) An auction mediation company;

(D) An auction that is conducted in a course of study for auctioneers that is approved by the state auctioneers commission created under section 4707.03 of the Revised Code for purposes of student training and is supervised by a licensed auctioneer;

(E)(1) An auction that is sponsored by a nonprofit or charitable organization that is registered in this state under Chapter 1702. or Chapter 1716. of the Revised Code, respectively, if the auction only involves the property of the members of the organization and the auction is part of a fair that is organized by an agricultural society under Chapter 1711. of the Revised Code or by the Ohio expositions commission under Chapter 991. of the Revised Code at which an auctioneer who is licensed under this chapter physically conducts the auction;

(2) Sales at an auction sponsored by a charitable, religious, or civic organization that is tax exempt under subsection 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, or by a public school, chartered nonpublic school, or community school, if the auction is conducted by a licensed auctioneer, no person is compensated for organizing, arranging, or conducting the auction, and all the items sold at the auction are donated.

(F) A person licensed as a livestock dealer under Chapter 943. of the Revised Code who exclusively sells livestock and uses an auctioneer who is licensed under this chapter to conduct the auction;

(G) A person licensed as a motor vehicle auction owner under Chapter 4517. of the Revised Code who exclusively sells motor vehicles and who uses an auctioneer who is licensed under this chapter to conduct the auction;

(H) A person who sells real or personal property by means of the internet.

Sec. 4707.20.  (A) No Except when conducting an auction under division (E)(2) of section 4707.02 of the Revised Code, no person shall act as an auction firm, auctioneer, or special auctioneer until the person has first entered into a written contract or agreement in duplicate with the owner or consignee of any property to be sold, containing the terms and conditions upon which the licensee receives or accepts the property for sale at auction. The contracts or agreements shall, for a period of two years, be kept on file in the office of every person so licensed. No apprentice auctioneer shall be authorized to enter into such a contract or agreement without the written consent of the apprentice auctioneer's sponsoring auctioneer, and all contracts or agreements shall be made in the name of and on behalf of the sponsoring auctioneer. In addition, an apprentice auctioneer shall not enter into an auction contract for the sale of real property in the name of the sponsoring auctioneer regardless of whether the apprentice auctioneer is licensed as a real estate broker or salesperson.

(B) On all contracts or agreements between an auction firm, auctioneer, or special auctioneer and the owner or consignee, there shall appear a prominent statement indicating that the auction firm, auctioneer, or special auctioneer is licensed by the department of agriculture, and either that the licensee is bonded in favor of the state or that an aggrieved person may initiate a claim against the auction recovery fund created in section 4707.25 of the Revised Code as a result of the licensee's actions, whichever is applicable.

(C) The auction firm, auctioneer, or special auctioneer who contracts with the owner is liable for the settlement of all money received, including the payment of all expenses incurred only by the licensee and the distribution of all funds, in connection with an auction.

(D) For purposes of this section, a contract or agreement shall specify all of the following:

(1) The owner of the property to be sold or the owner's agent or the consignee;

(2) The date of the auction or a termination date of the contract or agreement;

(3) The location of the auction;

(4) The terms and conditions of the auction;

(5) All of the fees to be charged by the auctioneer or the auction firm, which shall include commissions, rentals, advertising, and labor;

(6) An explanation of the settlement of the auction that includes the disbursement of interest money, if applicable;

(7) A statement establishing the responsibility for bad checks, debts, and unpaid auction items;

(8) A statement indicating whether the auction is a reserve auction or an absolute auction. In addition, the statement shall include the definition of reserve auction or absolute auction from section 4707.01 of the Revised Code, as applicable.

(9) A statement of the auctioneer's or auction firm's policy regarding absentee bidding;

(10) A brief description of the real or personal property to be sold;

(11) If the sale is of real or personal property at absolute auction, a statement affirming that the seller of the real or personal property has a bona fide intention to transfer ownership of the property to the highest bidder.

Sec. 4707.21.  No auction firm, auctioneer, apprentice auctioneer, or special auctioneer shall willfully neglect or refuse to furnish the department of agriculture statistics or other information in the auction firm's, auctioneer's, apprentice auctioneer's, or special auctioneer's possession or under the auction firm's, auctioneer's, apprentice auctioneer's, or special auctioneer's control that the auction firm, auctioneer, apprentice auctioneer, or special auctioneer is authorized to collect; nor shall the auction firm, auctioneer, apprentice auctioneer, or special auctioneer neglect or refuse, for more than thirty days, to answer questions submitted on circulars; nor shall the auction firm, auctioneer, apprentice auctioneer, or special auctioneer knowingly answer any such questions falsely; and nor shall the auction firm, auctioneer, apprentice auctioneer, or special auctioneer refuse to obey subpoenas and give testimony. Licensees, as well as charitable, religious, or civic organizations and schools that sponsor an auction under division (E)(2) of section 4707.02 of the Revised Code, shall keep records relative to any auction sale for at least two years from the its date of auction. These records shall include settlement sheets, written contracts, and copies of any advertising that lists the items for auction, as applicable.

Sec. 4707.26. (A)(1) A person who asserts that the person has been aggrieved by the actions of a person licensed under this chapter that resulted in actual and direct losses to the aggrieved person may initiate a claim against the auction recovery fund either under this section or section 4707.261 of the Revised Code. If an aggrieved person who wishes to seek recovery from the auction recovery fund has obtained a final judgment in a court of competent jurisdiction against the licensee, the aggrieved person shall initiate the claim in accordance with section 4707.261 of the Revised Code. If an aggrieved person who wishes to seek recovery from the auction recovery fund has not obtained a final judgment in a court of competent jurisdiction against the licensee, the aggrieved person shall initiate the claim in accordance with this section.

(2) An aggrieved person may initiate a claim against the auction recovery fund under this section if all of the following apply:

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

(b) The licensee's actions are described in section 4707.15 of the Revised Code or otherwise violate this chapter or rules adopted under it.

(c) The licensee is not an auction firm.

(d) The loss was not associated with an auction conducted under division (E)(2) of section 4707.02 of the Revised Code.

To initiate a claim against the fund, an aggrieved person shall file a verified complaint with the department of agriculture in accordance with section 4707.16 of the Revised Code. The verified complaint shall include an application to the department that requests recovery of the applicant's actual and direct losses and that is made on forms that the department provides. The application for recovery shall specify the nature of the act or transaction on which the applicant's claim is based, the actual and direct losses sustained by the applicant, and any activities that the applicant has pursued as a remedy for the losses.

(B) Upon receipt of a verified complaint and application, the department shall conduct an investigation in accordance with section 4707.16 of the Revised Code. After the investigation, if the department determines that the licensee has engaged in conduct described in section 4707.15 of the Revised Code or otherwise has violated this chapter or rules adopted under it, the department shall propose to take action to suspend or revoke the licensee's license under section 4707.15 of the Revised Code or to initiate a criminal action against the licensee under section 4707.99 of the Revised Code, or both. The department shall issue a letter to the applicant indicating the department's proposed action and the date of any hearing that the department has scheduled regarding the matter.

(C) Upon exhaustion of administrative remedies or criminal proceedings that results in a finding that the licensee has engaged in conduct described in section 4707.15 of the Revised Code or otherwise has violated this chapter or rules adopted under it, the department shall issue a notice in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code via certified mail to the applicant indicating that the applicant may request a hearing for relief from the auction recovery fund. An applicant who seeks recovery from the fund of any actual and direct losses suffered as a result of a licensee's conduct shall submit, not later than thirty days following receipt of the notice, a request for a hearing to the department.

Upon the timely receipt of a request for a hearing, the department shall provide the applicant with the opportunity to appear at an adjudication hearing to offer proof and evidence of the actual and direct losses. Whenever possible, the department shall require all applicants whose claims to the fund arose from an underlying transaction involving the same licensee to be joined in one adjudication under this section so that the rights of all applicants may be equitably adjudicated and settled. On behalf of the fund, the department may defend claims against the fund and shall have recourse to all appropriate means of defense and review, including examination of witnesses, and verification of actual losses.

(D) Upon the conclusion of the adjudication hearing, the hearing officer shall issue a report and recommendation in favor of making payment to an applicant from the fund if, during the course of the adjudication hearing, all of the following have been shown:

(1) The licensee has engaged in conduct described in section 4707.15 of the Revised Code or otherwise has violated this chapter or rules adopted under it.

(2) The licensee's conduct or violation is associated with an act that only a person licensed under this chapter lawfully may perform and the act resulted in direct and actual losses to the applicant.

(3) The applicant filed a verified complaint and application with the department as required by this section.

(4) The applicant is not the spouse of the licensee nor or the personal representative of the licensee's spouse.

(5) If the licensee either provided an irrevocable letter of credit or gave bond in accordance with section 4707.11 of the Revised Code, the applicant first sought recovery under the irrevocable letter of credit or bond before applying for payment from the fund.

The amount of any payment from the fund to the applicant shall consist of an amount that is equal to the portion of the actual and direct losses incurred by the applicant that remain unpaid. The amount of the payment is subject to the dollar limitation established in section 4707.29 of the Revised Code.

If the hearing officer determines that not all of the items described in divisions (D)(1) to (5) of this section have been shown during the course of the adjudication hearing, the hearing officer shall issue a report and recommendation against making payment from the fund to the applicant.

(E) Pursuant to section 119.09 of the Revised Code, a hearing officer or the hearing officer's representative shall forward by certified mail a copy of the hearing officer's written report and recommendation to the applicant or the applicant's attorney or other representative not later than five days after the date on which the report and recommendation are filed.

Not later than ten days after receiving such a copy, the applicant may file with the department written objections to the report and recommendation. The department may grant extensions of time to the applicant within which to file objections.

The objections shall be considered by the department before it approves, modifies, or disapproves the recommendation. The department may order additional testimony to be taken or permit the introduction of further documentary evidence.

The recommendation of the hearing officer may be approved, modified, or disapproved by order of the director of agriculture. The order shall not be issued until more than ten days have elapsed following the applicant's receipt of the report and recommendation as provided by this section. The director's approval, modification, or disapproval of the hearing officer's recommendation shall have the same effect as if the hearing had been conducted by the director.

No recommendation shall be final until approved, modified, or disapproved by the director as indicated by the order entered on the record of proceedings of the department. If the director modifies or disapproves the recommendations of the hearing officer, the director shall include in the record of the proceedings the reasons for the modification or disapproval.

After an order is entered on its journal, the department shall make payment, if applicable, to the applicant from the auction recovery fund in accordance with the order and shall provide to the applicant by certified mail, return receipt requested, a copy of the order and a statement of the time and method by which an appeal may be perfected. In addition, the department shall mail a copy of the order to the attorney or other representative of the applicant.

(F) An order of the director issued under this section constitutes a final determination of the director for purposes of appeal. An applicant who is denied compensation from the auction recovery fund or who receives an award less than the award requested may appeal the order of the director. Notices of appeal shall be filed in the manner provided in section 119.12 of the Revised Code.

Section 2. That existing sections 4707.02, 4707.20, 4707.21, and 4707.26 of the Revised Code are hereby repealed.