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<section article="gbo" article_name="Business Occupations and Professions" number="17-407" title_number="17" title_name="Real Estate Brokers" subtitle_number="4" subtitle_name="Real Estate Guaranty Fund">
  <level label="a">
    <text>The Commission shall act promptly on a claim made under this subtitle.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <text>Upon receipt of a claim, the Commission shall:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>forward a copy of the claim:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>to each licensee alleged to be responsible for the act or omission giving rise to the claim;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>to each unlicensed employee alleged to be responsible for the act or omission giving rise to the claim; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>if the licensee alleged to be responsible for the act or omission giving rise to the claim is an associate real estate broker or a real estate salesperson, to each real estate broker with whom the associate real estate broker or the real estate salesperson is affiliated; and</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>request from each of those individuals a written response within 10 days to the allegations set forth in the claim.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Commission:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>shall review the claim and any response to the claim; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>may conduct an investigation of the claim.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>On the basis of its review and any investigation that the Commission conducts, it shall:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>issue a proposed award under subsection (d) of this section;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>set the matter for a hearing; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>if the claim is frivolous, made in bad faith, or legally insufficient, dismiss the claim.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <level label="1">
      <level label="i">
        <text>If a claimant’s total claim arising from the conduct of one licensee does not exceed $5,000, the Commission may issue a proposed order to either pay the claim in whole or in part or to deny the claim.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The Commission shall send the proposed order to the claimant and the licensee by personal delivery or by both regular and certified mail, return receipt requested.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>The proposed order shall be sent to the licensee at the most recent address on record with the Commission.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <level label="i">
        <text>Within 30 days after the date of personal service of the proposed order or receipt of the proposed order by certified mail, the licensee or the claimant may request in writing a hearing before the Commission or file written exceptions to the proposed order issued under paragraph (1) of this subsection.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>On receipt of a written request for a hearing or written exceptions to the proposed order in accordance with subparagraph (i) of this paragraph, the Commission shall schedule a hearing on the claim.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>If a hearing is not requested or if timely exceptions are not filed to the proposed order, the proposed order shall become a final order of the Commission.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <text>At any claim hearing, the burden of proof shall be on the claimant to establish the validity of the claim.</text>
  </level>
</section>
