(A) The courts of common pleas, and municipal or county courts within their respective monetary jurisdiction, have jurisdiction over any seller or broker with respect to any act or practice covered by sections 1334.01 to 1334.15 of the Revised Code, or with respect to any claim arising from the sale or lease of a business opportunity plan subject to such sections.

(B) A final judgment against a seller or broker under sections 1334.01 to 1334.15 of the Revised Code is admissible as prima-facie evidence of the facts upon which it is based in subsequent proceedings under sections 1334.01 to 1334.15 of the Revised Code against the same seller or broker or their successors or assigns.

(C) No action under sections 1334.01 to 1334.15 of the Revised Code may be brought to recover for a transaction more than five years after either the occurrence of the violation or the date on which the parties executed the agreement selling or leasing the business opportunity plan, whichever is earlier.

(D) In any case arising under section 1334.08 or 1334.09 of the Revised Code, if a seller or broker shows by a preponderance of the evidence that a violation, or failure to meet the requirements of the exemption provided for in section 1334.13 of the Revised Code, resulted from a bona fide error notwithstanding the maintenance of procedures reasonably adopted to avoid the error, no civil penalties shall be imposed against the seller or broker under division (D) of section 1334.08 of the Revised Code, no party shall be awarded attorney's fees under division (B) of section 1334.09 of the Revised Code, and monetary recovery shall not exceed the amount of actual damages resulting from the violation. In addition, a purchaser may, in an action brought within one year after the date on which the agreement selling or leasing the business opportunity plan was executed, recover all sums paid to the seller less the fair market value, at the time of delivery, of any goods supplied by the seller that are not returned to the seller.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.130, SB 196, §1, eff. 9/28/2012.

Effective Date: 10-25-1979 .