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Practice Of Real EstateLicense_lawEASY

A managing broker deposits earnest money received from a buyer into the brokerage's general operating account rather than a separate escrow account, intending to transfer it later. Under the Illinois Real Estate License Act of 2000, which statement correctly describes the disciplinary risk?

Correct Answer

A) The broker is subject to discipline because the Act requires escrow funds to be held in a separate account, and commingling is prohibited regardless of intent to reimburse.

Under 225 ILCS 454/20-20 and the corresponding IDFPR escrow rules, a managing broker must deposit and maintain earnest money and other trust funds in a separate escrow account. Depositing those funds into a general operating account constitutes commingling, which is a disciplinary offense under the Act. The broker's intent to reimburse the account later does not cure the violation; the prohibition applies at the moment of improper deposit.

Answer Options
A
The broker is subject to discipline because the Act requires escrow funds to be held in a separate account, and commingling is prohibited regardless of intent to reimburse.
B
The broker is not subject to discipline if the funds are transferred to a proper escrow account before the closing date.
C
The broker is subject to discipline only if the commingled funds were actually used to pay brokerage operating expenses.
D
The broker is not subject to discipline because the Act permits temporary commingling when the managing broker maintains complete transaction records.

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Related Topics & Key Terms

Key Terms:

comminglingdefinitiondifficulty_2disciplinary_actionsdisciplinary_grounds_and_enforcementdisciplineescrowillinois_state

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