Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 4735.25 – Dealing in foreign real estate

(A)
1. (1) No person, other than an actual bona fide owner selling for the owner's own account in a single transaction and not by way of repeated or successive transactions, or a person excepted from obtaining a license under section 4735.01 of the Revised Code, shall sell, lease, or otherwise deal in this state in any foreign real estate unless the person has qualified the foreign real estate pursuant to this section and unless one of the following applies:
  1. (a) The person was licensed under section 1707.15 or 1707.16 prior to October 14, 1969;
  2. (b) The person was licensed as a foreign real estate dealer or salesperson under former section 1707.331 of the Revised Code prior to the effective date of this section, but only until the expiration date of the license;
  3. (c) The person is licensed under section 4735.27 or 4735.28 of the Revised Code.
2. (2) A licensed foreign real estate dealer or licensed foreign real estate salesperson who is acting in a fiduciary capacity for a bona fide owner of foreign real estate in the sale or lease of that real estate, or who is otherwise dealing in foreign real estate in a fiduciary capacity for its bona fide owner, in a single transaction and not by way of repeated or successive transactions for that owner, need not qualify such real estate under this section.
(B) Any person, other than one of the excepted persons under division (A) of this section, desiring to sell, lease, or otherwise deal in any foreign real estate shall file an application with the superintendent of real estate in the form the superintendent prescribes, which application shall set forth the following:
1. (1) An exact description of the foreign real estate sought to be sold, leased, or dealt in;
2. (2) A map or plat prepared by a competent surveyor showing the boundaries and dimensions of the foreign real estate and all lots or subdivisions of it;
3. (3) The names of the owners of the foreign real estate, with a detailed statement showing the financial responsibility of each owner, together with the post office address of each, including street numbers or another pertinent description; and if any such owner is a corporation or association, a copy of its articles or certificate of incorporation or of the agreement by which it was created, unless a copy is already on file in the office of the secretary of state, together with proof that it is qualified to do business in this state, if it is a foreign corporation;
4. (4) A list and description of all liens and encumbrances on the foreign real estate;
5. (5) A full description of all improvements or developments of every nature to be made or promised to be made on the foreign real estate, the cost of the improvements or developments, and the security, if any, for their completion;
6. (6) A copy of any building restrictions or other restrictions upon the use of the foreign real estate;
7. (7) A copy, description, or plan showing the form of contract, method, and terms of sale, lease, or other dealing to be used in connection with the foreign real estate;
8. (8) A list or schedule of all sales prices of the foreign real estate;
9. (9) A list or schedule of all commissions, allowances, or compensations in any form that have been arranged or agreed to be paid to the applicant, and to any dealers or salespersons, by the owner or by any person interested in the foreign real estate;
10. (10) Other information that the superintendent requires.
(C) All the statements, exhibits, and documents required by the superintendent under this section, except properly certified public documents, shall be verified by the oath of the applicant or of any person having knowledge of the facts, and in such manner and form as required by the superintendent. Failure to comply with the requests of the superintendent in this regard shall be a sufficient reason for a refusal by the superintendent to qualify the foreign real estate.
(D) Upon filing the application, the applicant shall pay to the superintendent a filing fee of five hundred dollars plus an additional one dollar for each lot, unit, parcel, or interest included in the offering, with the aggregate fee not to exceed two thousand five hundred dollars, and shall deposit with the superintendent a sum the superintendent may require for the purpose of defraying the cost of verifying the statements of the applicant, or for the purpose of determining that the provisions of this chapter have been and will be complied with and that the foreign real estate will not be sold, leased, or dealt in within this state on grossly unfair terms, or in a method or on terms that might defraud or deceive purchasers in this state.
(E) The superintendent or the superintendent's designee employed by the department of commerce, may inspect and examine the foreign real estate or investigate the applicant or the persons interested in, dealing in, or selling, the foreign real estate. The actual cost of the inspection or examination, including the proper proportion of the salaries of employees of the division of real estate who conduct it, shall be paid by the applicant and may be retained by the superintendent out of any deposit. An itemized statement of such cost shall be furnished to the applicant.
(F) In order either to prevent fraud in the sale of foreign real estate or to provide security for the performance of agreements to make improvements on it, the superintendent may require all payments for the foreign real estate to be made to a bank in this state, and to be impounded in that bank and held in escrow upon the terms the superintendent reasonably requires.
(G) If the superintendent is of the opinion that the proposed sale, lease, or disposal is not on grossly unfair terms, that the provisions of this chapter have been complied with, and that the foreign real estate will not be sold, leased, or dealt in, in a method or on terms that might defraud or deceive persons in this state, the superintendent shall allow the qualification of the foreign real estate for sale, lease, or other disposition on the terms stated in the application or on other terms, calculated to prevent fraud or deception, the superintendent approves.