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Practice Of Real EstateLicense LawHARD

Tennessee Affiliate Broker Rosa receives a $5,000 earnest money deposit from a buyer she is representing. Rosa's Broker-in-Charge is out of town for a week. Rosa deposits the funds into her personal checking account temporarily, intending to transfer them to the firm's escrow account when her BIC returns. Under Tennessee license law, which of the following best describes Rosa's action?

Correct Answer

D) Rosa has violated Tennessee license law by commingling client funds with her personal funds, regardless of her intent.

Under Tenn. Code Ann. § 62-13-101 et seq., commingling client funds with personal funds is a serious violation of Tennessee license law regardless of the licensee's intent or the temporary nature of the deposit. Rosa was required to immediately deposit the earnest money into the firm's escrow or trust account — the BIC's absence does not excuse this obligation. Commingling is one of the most serious violations under Tennessee license law and can result in license suspension or revocation.

Answer Options
A
Rosa's action is a minor procedural violation that TREC typically addresses with a written warning for first offenses.
B
Rosa's action is permissible because the funds will be properly transferred to the escrow account within a reasonable time.
C
Rosa's action is permissible because her BIC was unavailable and she acted in good faith to safeguard the funds.
D
Rosa has violated Tennessee license law by commingling client funds with her personal funds, regardless of her intent.

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Related Topics & Key Terms

Key Terms:

comminglingescrow_accounttrust_fundsdisciplinary_violationearnest_money

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