Legal FAQs

LLR updated Residential Property Condition Disclosure Statement to account for license law defining "material adverse facts" which must be disclosed even if seller's refuse to disclose.  Always best for listing brokerages to strongly persuade seller's to disclose on the seller disclosure.  SCR listing agreements require seller disclosure. The new license law carves down the broad "material fact" which case law defined as basically… Continue Reading Notice about changes to the LLR updates the Seller Disclosure…SCR updates SCR230 (Seller Disclosure)

The SCR forms committee wanted to make it virtually impossible for parties and REALTORS® to put a deadline on a day that makes it hard to comply with contractual requirements. So, the SCR310 Business Day is defined in common terms...Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. But, there are some common holidays that can fall on… Continue Reading Why is the SCR definition of Business Days unusual?

SCR391 - this addendum is a great addition to every contract!  Use SCR391 to shift the burden to provide deed restrictions to the seller.  Surveys are a great risk management tool and SCR391 covers survey issues and who orders/pays.  Always use SCR391 for beachfront property to get the beachfront disclosures into the contract per state law. … Continue Reading Commonly Forgotten SCR Residential Addendum

Due to federal RESPA laws (max penalties:  $10,000 fine and year in federal prison) and state real estate license law, it is risk to pay anything of value in exchange referrals for leads on buyers to property managers or other folks not licensed to receive referrals (e.g. relatives, friends, people asking for money). It is legal for a… Continue Reading WARNING: It is Risk to Pay Referral Fees to PMIC’s (or Unlicensed Folks)

Based on hotline communications, licensees are often very informal and imprecise in their text messaging. Therefore, SCR and the SCR310 discourage the use of text messaging primarily by allowing electronic writing that must be timely and properly delivered and received to the Contract's agreed upon: Notice address [typically brokerage office - can use FEDEX/UPS/Courier or… Continue Reading A warning about using Text Messaging

Make statements about yourself, not your competition.  The public will make their own comparisons.  This is also a defense against your competitors who watch your advertising close from filing REALTOR® ethics complaints and/or real estate license law complaints. Article 12 Realtors® shall be honest and truthful in their real estate communications and shall present a… Continue Reading Advertising Ethics – Standards of Practice

Federal Legal Holidays, Deadlines, and the Residential Sales Agreement The SCR standard residential sales agreements set various deadlines via a business day count. To stop arguments about when a document was physically or electronically delivered and received (9:59 am or 10 am or 10:01 am), SCR310 begins the counting of 24 hour periods on the… Continue Reading Federal Legal Holidays, Deadlines, and the Residential Sales Agreement

Ensure that you review with your broker-in-charge how different builders in your area typically have compensated and operated with your brokerage in the past. Ensure that you do your best to comply with the requirements of the particular builder. Ensure that you educate buyers that when the buyers sign an "exclusive right to buy" agreement… Continue Reading Things to be aware of when dealing with new construction

Lessons Learned - Case #16-5: Solicitation of Expired Exclusive Listing (Reaffirmed Case #21-11 May, 1988. Transferred to Article 16 November, 1994. Revised April, 1996.) A property was exclusively listed with Realtor® A who advertised it widely and invited cooperation from other Realtors®. The property was not sold during the term of Realtor® A’s listing, although… Continue Reading Lessons Learned – Case #16-5: Solicitation of Expired Exclusive Listing

Closing Delays & Hurricane Matthew - South Carolina REALTORS® Legal Update Q. Is Hurricane Matthew causing delays in real estate closings? As result of Hurricane Matthew, thirteen counties in South Carolina have been pronounced Presidentially-Declared Major Disaster Areas (PDMDA). The counties include: Beaufort, Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton, Darlington, Dillon, Dorchester, Florence, Georgetown, Horry, Jasper, Marion, and Williamsburg… Continue Reading Closing Delays & Hurricane Matthew – South Carolina REALTORS® Legal Update