To amend sections 169.02, 1349.20, 4735.18, and 4735.24 of the Revised Code to require earnest money for the purchase of residential real estate to be deposited in an interest-bearing account to be used to fund foreclosure prevention programs.

Section 1. That sections 169.02, 1349.20, 4735.18, and 4735.24 of the Revised Code be amended to read as follows:

Sec. 169.02.  Subject to division (B) of section 169.01 of the Revised Code, the following constitute unclaimed funds:

(A) Except as provided in division (R) of this section, any demand, savings, or matured time deposit account, or matured certificate of deposit, together with any interest or dividend on it, less any lawful claims, that is held or owed by a holder which is a financial organization, unclaimed for a period of five years;

(B) Any funds paid toward the purchase of withdrawable shares or other interest in a financial organization, and any interest or dividends on them, less any lawful claims, that is held or owed by a holder which is a financial organization, unclaimed for a period of five years;

(C) Except as provided in division (A) of section 3903.45 of the Revised Code, moneys held or owed by a holder, including a fraternal association, providing life insurance, including annuity or endowment coverage, unclaimed for three years after becoming payable as established from the records of such holder under any life or endowment insurance policy or annuity contract that has matured or terminated. An insurance policy, the proceeds of which are payable on the death of the insured, not matured by proof of death of the insured is deemed matured and the proceeds payable if such policy was in force when the insured attained the limiting age under the mortality table on which the reserve is based.

Moneys otherwise payable according to the records of such holder are deemed payable although the policy or contract has not been surrendered as required.

(D) Any deposit made to secure payment or any sum paid in advance for utility services of a public utility and any amount refundable from rates or charges collected by a public utility for utility services held or owed by a holder, less any lawful claims, that has remained unclaimed for one year after the termination of the services for which the deposit or advance payment was made or one year from the date the refund was payable, whichever is earlier;

(E) Except as provided in division (R) of this section, any certificates, securities as defined in section 1707.01 of the Revised Code, nonwithdrawable shares, other instruments evidencing ownership, or rights to them or funds paid toward the purchase of them, or any dividend, capital credit, profit, distribution, interest, or payment on principal or other sum, held or owed by a holder, including funds deposited with a fiscal agent or fiduciary for payment of them, and instruments representing an ownership interest, unclaimed for five years. Any underlying share or other intangible instrument representing an ownership interest in a business association, in which the issuer has recorded on its books the issuance of the share but has been unable to deliver the certificate to the shareholder, constitutes unclaimed funds if such underlying share is unclaimed for five years. In addition, an underlying share constitutes unclaimed funds if a dividend, distribution, or other sum payable as a result of the underlying share has remained unclaimed by the owner for five years.

This division shall not prejudice the rights of fiscal agents or fiduciaries for payment to return the items described in this division to their principals, according to the terms of an agency or fiduciary agreement, but such a return shall constitute the principal as the holder of the items and shall not interrupt the period for computing the time for which the items have remained unclaimed.

In the case of any such funds accruing and held or owed by a corporation under division (E) of section 1701.24 of the Revised Code, such corporation shall comply with this chapter, subject to the limitation contained in section 1701.34 of the Revised Code. The period of time for which such funds have gone unclaimed specified in section 1701.34 of the Revised Code shall be computed, with respect to dividends or distributions, commencing as of the dates when such dividends or distributions would have been payable to the shareholder had such shareholder surrendered the certificates for cancellation and exchange by the date specified in the order relating to them.

Capital credits of a cooperative which after January 1, 1972, have been allocated to members and which by agreement are expressly required to be paid if claimed after death of the owner are deemed payable, for the purpose of this chapter, fifteen years after either the termination of service by the cooperative to the owner or upon the nonactivity as provided in division (B) of section 169.01 of the Revised Code, whichever occurs later, provided that this provision does not apply if the payment is not mandatory.

(F) Any sum payable on certified checks or other written instruments certified or issued and representing funds held or owed by a holder, less any lawful claims, that are unclaimed for five years from the date payable or from the date of issuance if payable on demand; except that the unclaimed period for money orders that are not third party bank checks is seven years, and the unclaimed period for traveler's checks is fifteen years, from the date payable or from the date of issuance if payable on demand.

As used in this division, "written instruments" include, but are not limited to, certified checks, cashier's checks, bills of exchange, letters of credit, drafts, money orders, and traveler's checks.

If there is no address of record for the owner or other person entitled to the funds, such address is presumed to be the address where the instrument was certified or issued.

(G) Except as provided in division (R) of this section, all moneys, rights to moneys, or other intangible property, arising out of the business of engaging in the purchase or sale of securities, or otherwise dealing in intangibles, less any lawful claims, that are held or owed by a holder and are unclaimed for five years from the date of transaction.

(H) Except as provided in division (A) of section 3903.45 of the Revised Code, all moneys, rights to moneys, and other intangible property distributable in the course of dissolution or liquidation of a holder that are unclaimed for one year after the date set by the holder for distribution;

(I) All moneys, rights to moneys, or other intangible property removed from a safe-deposit box or other safekeeping repository located in this state or removed from a safe-deposit box or other safekeeping repository of a holder, on which the lease or rental period has expired, or any amount arising from the sale of such property, less any lawful claims, that are unclaimed for three years from the date on which the lease or rental period expired;

(J) Subject to division (M)(2) of this section, all moneys, rights to moneys, or other intangible property, and any income or increment on them, held or owed by a holder which is a fiduciary for the benefit of another, or a fiduciary or custodian of a qualified retirement plan or individual retirement arrangement under section 401 or 408 of the Internal Revenue Code, unclaimed for three years after the final date for distribution;

(K) All moneys, rights to moneys, or other intangible property held or owed in this state or held for or owed to an owner whose last known address is within this state, by the United States government or any state, as those terms are described in division (E) of section 169.01 of the Revised Code, unclaimed by the owner for three years, excluding any property in the control of any court in a proceeding in which a final adjudication has not been made;

(L) Amounts payable pursuant to the terms of any policy of insurance, other than life insurance, or any refund available under such a policy, held or owed by any holder, unclaimed for three years from the date payable or distributable;

(M)(1) Subject to division divisions (M)(2) and (3) of this section, any funds constituting rents or lease payments due, any deposit made to secure payment of rents or leases, or any sum paid in advance for rents, leases, possible damage to property, unused services, performance requirements, or any other purpose, held or owed by a holder unclaimed for one year;

(2) Any escrow funds, security deposits, or other moneys that are received by a licensed broker in a fiduciary capacity and that, pursuant to division (A)(26) of section 4735.18 of the Revised Code, are required to be deposited into and maintained in a special or trust, noninterest-bearing bank account separate and distinct from any personal or other account of the licensed broker, held or owed by the licensed broker unclaimed for two years;

(3) Any earnest money that is received by a licensed broker in a fiduciary capacity and that, pursuant to section 4735.24 of the Revised Code, is required to be deposited into and maintained in an interest-bearing trust or special fund, held or owed by the licensed broker unclaimed for two years.

(N) Any sum greater than fifty dollars payable as wages, any sum payable as salaries or commissions, any sum payable for services rendered, funds owed or held as royalties, oil and mineral proceeds, funds held for or owed to suppliers, and moneys owed under pension and profit-sharing plans, held or owed by any holder unclaimed for one year from date payable or distributable, and all other credits held or owed, or to be refunded to a retail customer, by any holder unclaimed for three years from date payable or distributable;

(O) Amounts held in respect of or represented by lay-aways sold after January 1, 1972, less any lawful claims, when such lay-aways are unclaimed for three years after the sale of them;

(P) All moneys, rights to moneys, and other intangible property not otherwise constituted as unclaimed funds by this section, including any income or increment on them, less any lawful claims, which are held or owed by any holder, other than a holder which holds a permit issued pursuant to Chapter 3769. of the Revised Code, and which have remained unclaimed for three years after becoming payable or distributable;

(Q) All moneys that arise out of a sale held pursuant to section 5322.03 of the Revised Code, that are held by a holder for delivery on demand to the appropriate person pursuant to division (I) of that section, and that are unclaimed for two years after the date of the sale.

(R)(1) Any funds that are subject to an agreement between the holder and owner providing for automatic reinvestment and that constitute dividends, distributions, or other sums held or owed by a holder in connection with a security as defined in section 1707.01 of the Revised Code, an ownership interest in an investment company registered under the "Investment Company Act of 1940," 54 Stat. 789, 15 U.S.C. 80a-1, as amended, or a certificate of deposit, unclaimed for a period of five years.

(2) The five-year period under division (R)(1) of this section commences from the date a second shareholder notification or communication mailing to the owner of the funds is returned to the holder as undeliverable by the United States postal service or other carrier. The notification or communication mailing by the holder shall be no less frequent than quarterly.

All moneys in a personal allowance account, as defined by rules adopted by the director of job and family services, up to and including the maximum resource limitation, of a medicaid patient who has died after receiving care in a long-term care facility, and for whom there is no identifiable heir or sponsor, are not subject to this chapter.

Sec. 1349.20.  As used in sections 1349.20 to 1349.22 of the Revised Code:

(A) "Banking day" means any day on which the federal reserve bank is open to the public for carrying on substantially all of its functions.

(B) "Check" means a negotiable instrument that is drawn on a federally insured bank, savings and loan association, credit union, or savings bank and contains an unconditional order to pay, on demand, a specified sum in money.

(C) "Escrow account" means a checking account with a federally insured bank, savings and loan association, credit union, or savings bank, which is used exclusively for the deposit of funds transferred electronically or otherwise, cash, money orders, or negotiable instruments that are received by the escrow or closing agent to effect an escrow transaction, but excludes an account of an attorney that is used to hold client funds and an account maintained by a real estate broker under division (A)(26) of section 4735.18 or under section 4735.24 of the Revised Code.

(D) "Escrow or closing agent" means a person who controls and effects, in an escrow transaction, the delivery described in division (E) of this section, but excludes a federally insured bank, savings and loan association, credit union, or savings bank that makes a loan as part of a residential real property transaction and excludes a real estate broker who, in a fiduciary capacity, receives and deposits, in an account maintained under division (A)(26) of section 4735.18 of the Revised Code, cash, funds, checks, or negotiable instruments for earnest money or good faith or other purposes.

(E) "Escrow transaction" means a transaction in which a person, for the purpose of effecting and closing the sale, purchase, exchange, transfer, encumbrance, or lease of an interest in residential real property to another person, provides a written instrument or document, money, negotiable instrument, check, evidence of title to real property, or any other thing of value to an escrow or closing agent, to be held by the agent until a specified event occurs or until the performance of a prescribed condition, when it is to be delivered to a specific person by the agent in compliance with applicable instructions, whether by filing such written instrument or document in the public records or by direct tender to the appropriate person.

(F) "Negotiable instrument" has the same meaning as in section 1303.03 of the Revised Code.

(G) "Residential real property" means any real property improved or to be improved with a one- to four-family dwelling.

Sec. 4735.18.  (A) Subject to section 4735.32 of the Revised Code, the superintendent of real estate, upon the superintendent's own motion, may investigate the conduct of any licensee. Subject to section 4735.32 of the Revised Code, the Ohio real estate commission shall, pursuant to section 4735.051 of the Revised Code, impose disciplinary sanctions upon any licensee who, whether or not acting in the licensee's capacity as a real estate broker or salesperson, or in handling the licensee's own property, is found to have been convicted of a felony or a crime of moral turpitude, and shall, pursuant to section 4735.051 of the Revised Code, impose disciplinary sanctions upon any licensee who, in the licensee's capacity as a real estate broker or salesperson, or in handling the licensee's own property, is found guilty of:

(1) Knowingly making any misrepresentation;

(2) Making any false promises with intent to influence, persuade, or induce;

(3) A continued course of misrepresentation or the making of false promises through agents, salespersons, advertising, or otherwise;

(4) Acting for more than one party in a transaction except as permitted by and in compliance with section 4735.71 of the Revised Code;

(5) Failure within a reasonable time to account for or to remit any money coming into the licensee's possession which belongs to others;

(6) Dishonest or illegal dealing, gross negligence, incompetency, or misconduct;

(7)(a) By final adjudication by a court, a violation of any municipal or federal civil rights law relevant to the protection of purchasers or sellers of real estate or, by final adjudication by a court, any unlawful discriminatory practice pertaining to the purchase or sale of real estate prohibited by Chapter 4112. of the Revised Code, provided that such violation arose out of a situation wherein parties were engaged in bona fide efforts to purchase, sell, or lease real estate, in the licensee's practice as a licensed real estate broker or salesperson;

(b) A second or subsequent violation of any unlawful discriminatory practice pertaining to the purchase or sale of real estate prohibited by Chapter 4112. of the Revised Code or any second or subsequent violation of municipal or federal civil rights laws relevant to purchasing or selling real estate whether or not there has been a final adjudication by a court, provided that such violation arose out of a situation wherein parties were engaged in bona fide efforts to purchase, sell, or lease real estate. For any second offense under this division, the commission shall suspend for a minimum of two months or revoke the license of the broker or salesperson. For any subsequent offense, the commission shall revoke the license of the broker or salesperson.

(8) Procuring a license under this chapter, for the licensee or any salesperson by fraud, misrepresentation, or deceit;

(9) Having violated or failed to comply with any provision of sections 4735.51 to 4735.74 of the Revised Code or having willfully disregarded or violated any other provisions of this chapter;

(10) As a real estate broker, having demanded, without reasonable cause, other than from a broker licensed under this chapter, a commission to which the licensee is not entitled, or, as a real estate salesperson, having demanded, without reasonable cause, a commission to which the licensee is not entitled;

(11) Except as permitted under section 4735.20 of the Revised Code, having paid commissions or fees to, or divided commissions or fees with, anyone not licensed as a real estate broker or salesperson under this chapter or anyone not operating as an out-of-state commercial real estate broker or salesperson under section 4735.022 of the Revised Code;

(12) Having falsely represented membership in any real estate professional association of which the licensee is not a member;

(13) Having accepted, given, or charged any undisclosed commission, rebate, or direct profit on expenditures made for a principal;

(14) Having offered anything of value other than the consideration recited in the sales contract as an inducement to a person to enter into a contract for the purchase or sale of real estate or having offered real estate or the improvements on real estate as a prize in a lottery or scheme of chance;

(15) Having acted in the dual capacity of real estate broker and undisclosed principal, or real estate salesperson and undisclosed principal, in any transaction;

(16) Having guaranteed, authorized, or permitted any person to guarantee future profits which may result from the resale of real property;

(17) Having placed a sign on any property offering it for sale or for rent without the consent of the owner or the owner's authorized agent;

(18) Having induced any party to a contract of sale or lease to break such contract for the purpose of substituting in lieu of it a new contract with another principal;

(19) Having negotiated the sale, exchange, or lease of any real property directly with a seller, purchaser, lessor, or tenant knowing that such seller, purchaser, lessor, or tenant is represented by another broker under a written exclusive agency agreement, exclusive right to sell or lease listing agreement, or exclusive purchaser agency agreement with respect to such property except as provided for in section 4735.75 of the Revised Code;

(20) Having offered real property for sale or for lease without the knowledge and consent of the owner or the owner's authorized agent, or on any terms other than those authorized by the owner or the owner's authorized agent;

(21) Having published advertising, whether printed, radio, display, or of any other nature, which was misleading or inaccurate in any material particular, or in any way having misrepresented any properties, terms, values, policies, or services of the business conducted;

(22) Having knowingly withheld from or inserted in any statement of account or invoice any statement that made it inaccurate in any material particular;

(23) Having published or circulated unjustified or unwarranted threats of legal proceedings which tended to or had the effect of harassing competitors or intimidating their customers;

(24) Having failed to keep complete and accurate records of all transactions for a period of three years from the date of the transaction, such records to include copies of listing forms, earnest money receipts, offers to purchase and acceptances of them, records of receipts and disbursements of all funds received by the licensee as broker and incident to the licensee's transactions as such, and records required pursuant to divisions (C)(4) and (5) of section 4735.20 of the Revised Code, and any other instruments or papers related to the performance of any of the acts set forth in the definition of a real estate broker;

(25) Failure of a real estate broker or salesperson to furnish all parties involved in a real estate transaction true copies of all listings and other agreements to which they are a party, at the time each party signs them;

(26) Failure to maintain at all times a special or trust bank account in a depository located in this state. The Except as provided in section 4735.24 of the Revised Code, the account shall be noninterest-bearing, separate and distinct from any personal or other account of the broker, and, except as provided in division (A)(27) of this section and section 4735.24 of the Revised Code, shall be used for the deposit and maintenance of all escrow funds, security deposits, and other moneys received by the broker in a fiduciary capacity. The name, account number, if any, and location of the depository wherein such special or trust account is maintained shall be submitted in writing to the superintendent. Checks drawn on such special or trust bank accounts are deemed to meet the conditions imposed by section 1349.21 of the Revised Code. Funds deposited in the an interest-bearing trust or special account in connection with a purchase agreement shall be maintained in accordance with section 4735.24 of the Revised Code.

(27) Failure to maintain at all times a special or trust bank account in a depository in this state, to be used exclusively for the deposit and maintenance of all rents, security deposits, escrow funds, and other moneys received by the broker in a fiduciary capacity in the course of managing real property. This account shall be separate and distinct from any other account maintained by the broker. The name, account number, and location of the depository shall be submitted in writing to the superintendent. This account may earn interest, which shall be paid to the property owners on a pro rata basis.

Division (A)(27) of this section does not apply to brokers who are not engaged in the management of real property on behalf of real property owners.

(28) Having failed to put definite expiration dates in all written agency agreements to which the broker is a party;

(29) Having an unsatisfied final judgment in any court of record against the licensee arising out of the licensee's conduct as a licensed broker or salesperson;

(30) Failing to render promptly upon demand a full and complete statement of the expenditures by the broker or salesperson of funds advanced by or on behalf of a party to a real estate transaction to the broker or salesperson for the purpose of performing duties as a licensee under this chapter in conjunction with the real estate transaction;

(31) Failure within a reasonable time, after the receipt of the commission by the broker, to render an accounting to and pay a real estate salesperson the salesperson's earned share of it;

(32) Performing any service for another constituting the practice of law, as determined by any court of law;

(33) Having been adjudicated incompetent for the purpose of holding the license by a court, as provided in section 5122.301 of the Revised Code. A license revoked or suspended under this division shall be reactivated upon proof to the commission of the removal of the disability.

(34) Having authorized or permitted a person to act as an agent in the capacity of a real estate broker, or a real estate salesperson, who was not then licensed as a real estate broker or real estate salesperson under this chapter or who was not then operating as an out-of-state commercial real estate broker or salesperson under section 4735.022 of the Revised Code;

(35) Having knowingly inserted or participated in inserting any materially inaccurate term in a document, including naming a false consideration;

(36) Having failed to inform the licensee's client of the existence of an offer or counteroffer or having failed to present an offer or counteroffer in a timely manner, unless otherwise instructed by the client, provided the instruction of the client does not conflict with any state or federal law.

(B) Whenever the commission, pursuant to section 4735.051 of the Revised Code, imposes disciplinary sanctions for any violation of this section, the commission also may impose such sanctions upon the broker with whom the salesperson is affiliated if the commission finds that the broker had knowledge of the salesperson's actions that violated this section.

(C) The commission shall, pursuant to section 4735.051 of the Revised Code, impose disciplinary sanctions upon any foreign real estate dealer or salesperson who, in that capacity or in handling the dealer's or salesperson's own property, is found guilty of any of the acts or omissions specified or comprehended in division (A) of this section insofar as the acts or omissions pertain to foreign real estate. If the commission imposes such sanctions upon a foreign real estate salesperson for a violation of this section, the commission also may suspend or revoke the license of the foreign real estate dealer with whom the salesperson is affiliated if the commission finds that the dealer had knowledge of the salesperson's actions that violated this section.

(D) The commission may suspend, in whole or in part, the imposition of the penalty of suspension of a license under this section.

(E) The commission immediately shall notify the real estate appraiser board of any disciplinary action taken under this section against a licensee who also is a state-certified real estate appraiser under Chapter 4763. of the Revised Code.

Sec. 4735.24. (A) A real estate broker shall establish and maintain a separate interest-bearing trust or special account for the deposit of earnest money connected to a real estate purchase agreement. The real estate broker shall quarterly pay interest and dividends earned on these accounts to the director of commerce who shall deposit money into the state treasury to the credit of the Ohio foreclosure prevention fund, which is hereby created. The director may use money in the fund for state-approved foreclosure prevention programs. The director may adopt rules to implement the requirements of this paragraph.

(B) Except as otherwise provided in this section, when earnest money connected to a real estate purchase agreement is deposited in a real estate broker's interest-bearing trust or special account, the broker shall maintain that money in the account in accordance with the terms of the purchase agreement until one of the following occurs:

(1) The transaction closes and the broker disburses the deposited earnest money to the closing or escrow agent or otherwise disburses the money pursuant to the terms of the purchase agreement.

(2) The parties provide the broker with written instructions that both parties have signed that specify how the broker is to disburse the deposited earnest money and the broker acts pursuant to those instructions.

(3) The broker receives a copy of a final court order that specifies to whom the deposited earnest money is to be awarded and the broker acts pursuant to the court order.

(4) The deposited earnest money becomes unclaimed funds as defined in division (M)(2)(3) of section 169.02 of the Revised Code and, after providing the notice that division (D) of section 169.03 of the Revised Code requires, the broker has reported the unclaimed funds to the director of commerce pursuant to section 169.03 of the Revised Code and has remitted all of the earnest money to the director.

(B)(C) A purchase agreement may provide that in the event of a dispute regarding the disbursement of the deposited earnest money, the broker will return the money to the purchaser without notice to the parties unless, within two years from the date the earnest money was deposited in the broker's trust or special account, the broker has received one of the following:

(1) Written instructions signed by both parties specifying how the money is to be disbursed;

(2) Written notice that a court action to resolve the dispute has been filed.

(C)(D)(1) If the parties dispute the disbursement of the deposited earnest money and the purchase agreement contains the provision described in division (B)(C) of this section, not later than the first day of September following the two year anniversary date of the deposit of the earnest money in the broker's account, the broker shall return the deposited earnest money to the purchaser unless the parties provided the broker with written instructions or a notice of a court action as described in division (B)(C) of this section.

(2) If the broker cannot locate the purchaser at the time the disbursement is due, after providing the notice that division (D) of section 169.03 of the Revised Code requires, the broker shall report the deposited earnest money as unclaimed funds to the director of commerce pursuant to section 169.03 of the Revised Code and remit all of the earnest money to the director.

Section 2. That existing sections 169.02, 1349.20, 4735.18, and 4735.24 of the Revised Code are hereby repealed.