2023 Maryland Statutes › Corporations and Associations › Title 11 - Maryland Securities Act › Subtitle 7 - Enforcement and Penalties › Section 11-703 - Civil Liabilities

(a)    (1)    A person is civilly liable to the person buying a security from him if he:
(i)    Offers or sells the security in violation of § 11-304(b), § 11-401(a), § 11-402(a), or § 11-501 of this title, or of any rule or order under § 11-205 of this title which requires the affirmative approval of sales literature before it is used; or
(ii)    Offers or sells the security by means of any untrue statement of a material fact or any omission to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in the light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading, the buyer not knowing of the untruth or omission, and if he does not sustain the burden of proof that he did not know, and in the exercise of reasonable care could not have known, of the untruth or omission.
(2)    A person is civilly liable to the person selling a security to him if he offers to purchase or purchases the security by means of any untrue statement of a material fact or any omission to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading, the seller not knowing of the untruth or omission, and if he does not sustain the burden of proof that he did not know, and in the exercise of reasonable care could not have known, of the untruth or omission.
(3)    A person is civilly liable to another person if the person:
(i)    Acts as an investment adviser or representative in violation of § 11-302(c), § 11-401(b), § 11-402(b), or § 11-304(b) of this title or any rule or order promulgated under it, except that an action based on a violation of § 11-402(b) of this title may not be maintained except by those persons who directly received advice from the unregistered investment adviser representative; or
(ii)    Receives, directly or indirectly, any consideration from another person for advice as to the value of securities or their purchase or sale or for acting as an investment adviser or representative under § 11-101(h) and (i) of this title, whether through the issuance of analyses, reports, or otherwise, and employs any device, scheme, or artifice to defraud such other person or engages in any act, practice or course of business which operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit on such other person.
(b)    (1)    A buyer may sue either at law or in equity:
(i)    On tender of the security, to recover the consideration paid for the security, together with interest at the rate provided for in § 11-107(a) of the Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article, as amended, from the date of payment, costs, and reasonable attorneys’ fees, less the amount of any income received on the security; or
(ii)    If he no longer owns the security, for damages.
(2)    A seller may sue either at law or in equity:
(i)    On tender of the consideration paid for the security, to recover the security, together with the amount of any income received on the security, costs, and reasonable attorneys’ fees; or
(ii)    If the buyer no longer owns the security, for damages.
(3)    For the purposes of subsection (b)(1)(ii) of this section, damages are the amount that would be recoverable on a tender less the value of the security when the buyer disposed of it and interest at the rate provided for in § 11-107(a) of the Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article, as amended, from the date of disposition.
(4)    (i)    In any action brought under subsection (a)(3) of this section a person may sue either at law or in equity for the rescission of the advisory contract and any damages resulting from the violation, together with interest at the rate provided for in § 11-107(a) of the Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article, as amended, from the date of payment of the consideration, costs, and reasonable attorneys’ fees, less the amount of any income received from such advice.
(ii)    An action based on a violation of § 11-302(c) of this title may not prevail where the person accused of the violation sustains the burden of proof that he did not know, and in the exercise of reasonable care could not have known, of the existence of the facts by reason of which the liability is alleged to exist.
(c)    (1)    Every person who directly or indirectly controls a person liable under subsection (a) of this section, every partner, officer, or director of the person liable, every person occupying a similar status or performing similar functions, every employee of the person liable who materially aids in the conduct giving rise to the liability, and every broker-dealer or agent who materially aids in such conduct are also liable jointly and severally with and to the same extent as the person liable, unless able to sustain the burden of proof that he did not know, and in exercise of reasonable care could not have known, of the existence of the facts by reason of which the liability is alleged to exist.
(2)    There is contribution as in cases of contract among the several persons so liable.
(d)    Any tender specified in this section may be made at any time before entry of judgment.
(e)    Every cause of action under this statute survives the death of any person who might have been a plaintiff or defendant.
(f)    (1)    A person may not sue under subsections (a)(1) and (2) of this section after the earlier to occur of 3 years after the contract of sale or purchase or the time specified in paragraph (2) of this subsection.
(2)    An action may not be maintained:
(i)    To enforce any liability created under subsection (a)(1)(i) of this section, unless brought within one year after the violation on which it is based; or
(ii)    To enforce any liability created under subsection (a)(1)(ii) or (2) of this section, unless brought within one year after the discovery of the untrue statement or omission, or after the discovery should have been made by the exercise of reasonable diligence.
(3)    A person may not sue under subsection (a)(3) of this section more than 3 years after the date of the advisory contract or the rendering of investment advice, or the expiration of 2 years after the discovery of the facts constituting the violation, whichever first occurs.
(4)    A person may not sue under this section:
(i)    If the buyer received a written offer, before suit and at a time when he owned the security or asset, to refund the consideration paid together with interest at the rate provided for in § 11-107(a) of the Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article, as amended, from the date of payment, less the amount of any income received on the security or asset, and he failed to accept the offer within 30 days of its receipt;
(ii)    If the buyer received the offer before suit and at a time when he did not own the security or asset, unless he rejected the offer in writing within 30 days of its receipt; or
(iii)    If the seller received a written offer from the buyer, before suit, to return the security or asset, together with the amount of any income received on the security, less interest at the rate provided for in § 11-107(a) of the Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article, as amended, from the date of payment, and he failed to accept the offer within 30 days of its receipt.
(g)    A person may not base any suit on any contract if he:
(1)    Has made or engaged in the performance of the contract in violation of any provision of this title or any rule or order under this title; or
(2)    Has acquired any purported right under the contract with knowledge of the facts by reason of which its making or performance was in violation.
(h)    Any condition, stipulation, or provision binding any person acquiring any security or asset or receiving any investment advice to waive compliance with any provision of this title or any rule or order under this title is void.
(i)    The rights and remedies provided by this title are in addition to any other rights or remedies that may exist at law or in equity, but this title does not create any cause of action not specified in this section or § 11-410 of this title.