§ 10-6A-14 - Ministerial acts explained; required actions of transaction brokers; false information
O.C.G.A. 10-6A-14 (2010)
10-6A-14. Ministerial acts explained; required actions of transaction brokers; false information
(a) A broker acting as a transaction broker may provide assistance to buyers, sellers, tenants, and landlords by performing ministerial acts. Examples of ministerial acts which can be performed by the transaction broker on behalf of any of the parties in a real estate transaction include without limitation the following:
(1) Identifying property for sale, lease, or exchange;
(2) Providing real estate statistics and information on property;
(3) Providing pre-printed real estate form contracts, leases, and related exhibits and addenda;
(4) Acting as a scribe in the preparation of real estate form contracts, leases, and related exhibits and addenda;
(5) Locating architects, engineers, surveyors, inspectors, lenders, insurance agents, attorneys, and other professionals; and
(6) Identifying schools, shopping facilities, places of worship, and other similar facilities on behalf of any of the parties in a real estate transaction.
(b) A broker acting as a transaction broker shall do the following:
(1) Timely present all offers to and from the parties involving the sale, lease, and exchange of property;
(2) Timely account for all money and property received by the broker on behalf of a party in a real estate transaction;
(3) Timely disclose the following to all buyers and tenants with whom the broker is working:
(A) All adverse material facts pertaining to the physical condition of the property and improvements located thereon including but not limited to material defects in the property, environmental contamination, and facts required by statute or regulation to be disclosed which are actually known by the broker which could not be discovered by a reasonably diligent inspection of the property by the buyer; and
(B) All material facts pertaining to existing adverse physical conditions in the immediate neighborhood within one mile of the property which are actually known to the broker and which could not be discovered by the buyer upon a diligent inspection of the neighborhood or through the review of reasonably available governmental regulations, documents, records, maps, and statistics. Examples of reasonably available governmental regulations, documents, records, maps, and statistics shall include without limitation: land use maps and plans; zoning ordinances; recorded plats and surveys; transportation maps and plans; maps of flood plains; crime statistics; tax maps; school district boundary maps; and maps showing the boundary lines of governmental jurisdictions.
(c) Transaction brokers shall not knowingly give any party in a real estate transaction false information; provided, however, that a broker shall not be liable to a party for providing false information to the party if broker did not have actual knowledge that the information was false and discloses to the party the source of the information. Nothing in this subsection shall limit any obligation of a seller under any applicable law to disclose to prospective buyers all adverse material facts actually known by the seller pertaining to the physical condition of the property nor shall it limit the obligation of prospective buyers to inspect and to familiarize themselves with potentially adverse conditions related to the physical condition of the property, any improvements located thereon, and the neighborhood in which the property is located. No cause of action shall arise on behalf of any person against a broker for revealing information in compliance with this subsection. No broker shall be liable for failure to disclose any matter other than those matters enumerated in this subsection. Violations of this subsection shall not create liability on the part of the broker absent a finding of fraud on the part of the broker.