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Fizbomap in InmanNews
Posted by Matt Newbill in News, Consumer Rights on February 28th, 2007
Today we were featured in InmanNews in an article about the new minimum-service bill in Idaho. You can view the entire article here if you act soon. (if you wait too long it requires a paid subscription)
Basically, the article talks about the same issues that we’ve been discussing all week on our blog, the proposed minimum-service bill. However, this article touches on the U.S. Department of Justice’s involvement. Here’s a quote from the article.
In January 2006 the Idaho Real Estate Commission considered its own draft legislation to establish new minimum standards for real estate services and requested a review by the U.S. Department of Justice, which along with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission has expressed opposition to other states’ proposed laws and regulations that would heighten the mandatory level of real estate services. Because of states’ rights to pass legislation, the federal agencies can comment about state legislation but have limited authority in taking other action against state laws, even if they are considered in violation of federal antitrust laws.
Representatives for the Justice Department met with the Idaho Real Estate Commission in January 2006 to discuss the commission’s own legislative proposal. And according to public minutes for that meeting, the Justice Department opposed the commission’s draft of the legislation “as presenting consumers from maximum choice in brokerage services. So far no complaints have been filed, either in Idaho or any state,” and, “The proposed legislation will prevent consumers from saving money should they decide to hire and pay brokers to perform only some services.”
Representatives for the Justice Department were not immediately available for comment today about the Idaho Association of Realtor’s minimum-service legislative proposal.
Several states have passed these so-called minimum-service laws despite objections by the federal agencies, while other states passed similar legislation that did not draw opposition from the agencies.
Realtor trade groups have typically endorsed and lobbied for minimum-service laws, which the Justice Department has said can be anti-consumer and anti-competitive because they can limit choice in real estate business models while potentially raising the rates charged by low-cost real estate business models.
So, as you can see, the DOJ did review the draft of the legislation and were opposed to it. Even going as far as stating that it would prevent consumers from maximum choice in brokerage services. Meaning that it would be limiting consumer choice.
The article also points out that the commission isn’t aware of any complaints stemmed from companies that offer limited services to clients.
Jackson-Heim said she wasn’t aware whether the commission has received complaints over companies that offer limited services to clients. “We don’t keep track of complaints necessarily unless they develop into investigations,” she said.
Hopefully this increased exposure will bring some attention about this issue to both consumers and (hopefully) the State Senate before they make their vote.
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