Opinion ID: 1902731
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: B.4. Every contract must reflect whom the broker represents by a statement over the signature of the parties to the contract.

Text: ¶ 3. An evidentiary hearing was held before MREC on February 6, 1997. The testimony adduced at the hearing revealed that the Buccas had entered into a contract with James Rayburn for the purchase and sale of their property. The contract stated that the buyer had deposited Four Thousand Dollars ($4,000.00) in earnest money with McDerment. The contract further provided that the earnest money would be forfeited as liquidated damages in the event the buyer failed to perform. ¶ 4. The copy of the contract McDerment gave the Buccas was not signed by the buyer. Mrs. Bucca testified that when she asked McDerment to give her a copy signed by the buyer he told her that she did not need one. As a result Mrs. Bucca went to McDerment's office at a time that she knew he was away and asked McDerment's son to give her copy of the contract signed by the buyer. McDerment's son gave Mrs. Bucca a copy of the buyer signed contract after she told him that McDerment had forgotten to give her a copy signed by the buyer. ¶ 5. McDerment testified that although he had a contract signed by the buyer, he had not given a copy of that contract to the Buccas because the buyer had not deposited the earnest money with him. It was not until after the purchaser had failed to fulfill his obligations under the contract of sale and the Buccas had demanded their share of the earnest money, that McDerment informed them the earnest money had never been deposited with him. ¶ 6. MREC further alleged the contract did not have a statement of which party McDerment represented printed over the parties' signatures. McDerment admitted that he neglected to include such a statement on the contract. The absence of a statement of which party he represented constituted a violation of Rule IV.B.4., of MREC's Rules and Regulations. ¶ 7. After the hearing MREC issued an Order holding that the above facts constituted violations of Miss.Code Ann. §§ 73-35-21(a), (f) and (m) and Rule IV.B.4. of the Mississippi Real Estate Commission Rules and Regulations. The Order further held that as a result of McDerment's actions his Real Estate Broker's License was thereby revoked. ¶ 8. McDerment appealed MREC's Order to the Circuit Court of George County, Mississippi. On appeal to the circuit court, McDerment raised issues identical to those raised before this Court. In affirming MREC's Order the circuit court found that the Commission's decision was supported by substantial evidence. The circuit court further held that there was no legal support for McDerment's argument for a jury trial or for his claim that the administrative proceedings were criminal in nature.