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A Consumer Guide to Filing
REAL ESTATE COMPLAINTS
State of California
Department of Real Estate
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Governor
Dale Bonner
Secretary of the Business, Transportation & Housing
Agency
Jeff Davi
Commissioner
Department of Real Estate
The Complaint Process
Investigations are made by the Department's Enforcement Section on the basis of written complaints received from the public.
To initiate an investigation, the Department must determine two things:
The Department has jurisdiction over real estate licensees, subdividers, and unlicensed persons who have performed acts which require a real estate license.
- That the complaint relates to possible violations of the Real Estate Law or Subdivided Lands Law.
Starting the Process
In order to help us evaluate and process your complaint:
- Complete a Licensee/Subdivider Complaint form (RE 519). The complaint form may be obtained directly from our web site at www.dre.ca.gov, or by calling any of the Department's Enforcement Sections:
Los Angeles (213) 620-2072
Sacramento (916) 227-0864
Oakland (510) 622-2552
Fresno (559) 445-5009
San Diego (619) 525-4192
Completing the Complaint Form
When completing the complaint form:
- Provide a written explanation of the exact nature of your complaint;
- Provide the names, addresses and telephone numbers of any witnesses to the events described in your complaint; and
- Provide photocopies of all documents involved in your transaction.
What We Can Do
If an inquiry into the matter substantiates that there has been a violation of the laws enforced by the Department:
- A formal disciplinary action may be filed which could result in the suspension or revocation of a license or the issuance of a restricted license.
- An Order to Desist and Refrain may be filed to stop further unlawful activities.
What We Cannot Do
We cannot act as a court of law. Therefore we cannot order that monies be refunded, contracts be cancelled or damages be awarded.
If your primary interest is to gain restitution, you should consider:
- Filing a small claims court action if the amount in dispute is $5,000 or less.
- Contacting an attorney to determine what legal remedies are available to you.
License Status Information
If you are not sure if the individual or company involved in your transaction is licensed by the Department of Real Estate, there are two ways to check:
- The status of all real estate licensees is available on our web site at www.dre.ca.gov. The web site contains all current public license information.
- You may check the status of all real estate licensees by calling any of the Enforcement Offices listed in this brochure, or you may call the Department's Licensing Section at (877) 373-4542.
Department of Real Estate offices are located at:
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