2006 Louisiana Laws - RS 37:1462 — Conditions for recovery; eligibility

§1462.  Conditions for recovery; eligibility

A.  Any person shall be eligible to seek recovery from the recovery fund if all of the following conditions have been met:

(1)  The claimant has received final judgment in a court of competent jurisdiction in this state in any action wherein the cause of action was based on any violation prescribed in this Chapter.

(2)  At the time the action was commenced, the claimant gave notice thereof to the Real Estate Commission by certified mail.  When the Real Estate Commission receives notice of any action, as required, the commission may intervene, enter an appearance, file an answer, defend the action or take any action it deems appropriate on behalf and in the name of the defendant, and take recourse through any appropriate method of review on behalf of, and in the name of, the defendant.

(3)  The claimant has made such judgment executory, and the return of the constable or sheriff showing that executing the same has made a return showing that no personal or real property of the judgment debtor can be found, or that the amount realized on the sale of the judgment debtor's property pursuant to such execution was insufficient to satisfy the judgment.

(4)(a)  The claimant has made all reasonable searches and inquiries to ascertain whether the judgment debtor is possessed of real or personal property or other assets subject to being sold or applied in satisfaction of the judgment, and by his search he has discovered no property or assets, or that he has discovered property and assets and that he has taken all necessary action and proceedings for the application thereof to the judgment and that the amount thereby realized was insufficient to satisfy the judgment.

(b)  The claimant has diligently pursued his remedies against all the judgment debtors and all persons liable to him in the transaction for which he seeks recovery from the recovery fund.  If the recovery fund claim is based on the actions of a corporation, partnership, or limited liability company, the claimant must have diligently pursued all possible remedies against the qualifying broker for the corporation, partnership, or limited liability company.

(c)  If the judgment debtor has sought protection under the federal bankruptcy law, the claimant must provide a stamped copy of the proof of claim submitted to the bankruptcy court handling the case of the judgment debtor.

(5)  Any amount recovered by the claimant from the judgment debtor, or from any other source, has been applied to the damages awarded by the courts.

(6)  The right to recovery under this Subsection shall be forever barred unless application is made within one hundred eighty days from the date of the final judgment of all judicial proceedings, including appeals.

(7)  After proper review, the commission may, after receiving written approval of the state attorney general's office, pay the claim or offer such compromise as is deemed just and equitable.

B.(1) The commission may, in lieu of meeting all the conditions for recovery set forth in Paragraphs (1) through (5) of Subsection A, allow the aggrieved party to submit a claim to the commission by notarized affidavit giving all the pertinent facts to the claim, when the claim is based on the actions of one or more licensees who have been sanctioned by the commission in an adjudicatory proceeding, the record of which corroborates the affidavit submitted by the claimant, and the amount of the claim does not exceed two thousand dollars.

(2)  The right to recover under the provisions of this Subsection shall be forever barred unless application is made within one hundred eighty days from the effective date of the order issued by the commission pursuant to an adjudicatory proceeding pertaining to a claim submitted by a notarized affidavit, including appeals.

(3)  Claims submitted by notarized affidavit may be paid by the commission after receiving written approval of the attorney general's office.

Acts 1978, No. 514, §1; Acts 1983, No. 379, §1; Acts 1986, No. 836, §1; Acts 1989, No. 655, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1990; Acts 1995, No. 1207, §§1, 2; Acts 1997, No. 845, §1; Acts 1999, No. 452, §2.