Section TWO Trust Funds I. TRUST FUND BANK ACCOUNTS General Requirements Business and Professions Code Section 10145. (a) (1) requires that, A real estate broker who accepts funds belonging to others in connection with a transaction subject to this part shall deposit all those funds that are not immediately placed into a neutral escrow depository or into the hands of the broker's principal, into a trust fund account maintained by the broker in a bank or recognized depository in this state. All funds deposited by the broker in a trust fund account shall be maintained there until disbursed by the broker in accordance with instructions from the person entitled to the funds. Commissioner s Regulation, section 2832 (a) states that in a transaction where a broker is placing funds into a Trust Account, the account shall be, in the name of the broker, or in a fictitious name if the broker is the holder of a license bearing such fictitious name, as trustee at a bank or other financial institution... The Real Estate Reference Book (found under publications on the BRE web site, www.bre.ca.gov ) states the Business and Professions Code Section 10145 as well as the Commissioner s Regulation 2832 also require that the Trust Account be; maintained with a bank or recognized depository located in California and not an interest-bearing account for which prior written notice can, by law or regulation, be required by the financial institution as a condition to withdrawal (except as noted in the discussion of Interest-Bearing Accounts below). Page 499 The Real Estate Reference Book goes on the say that, A broker may have an out-of-state Trust Account if the account is insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and is used to service first loans for the types of note owners/investors specified in Section 10145(a)(2) of the Business and Professions Code. Page 499 Trust Account Withdrawals Once funds have been placed in a broker s Trust Account, the withdrawal of funds from that account can only be made by the broker or, with the signature of an authorized party. According to the Commissioner s Regulation 2834 (a), that party must be either:
1. a salesperson licensed to the broker. 2. a person licensed as a broker who has entered into a written agreement pursuant to Section 2726 with the broker. 3. an unlicensed employee of the broker with fidelity bond coverage at least equal to the maximum amount of the trust funds to which the employee has access at any time. If the Trust Fund Account is in the name of a corporate broker the funds can only be withdrawn, as stated in Regulation 2834 (b), upon the signature of; (1) an officer through whom the corporation is licensed pursuant to Section 10158 or 10211 of the Code or (2) one of the persons enumerated in paragraph (1), (2) or (3) of subdivision (a) above, Provided that specific authorization in writing is given by the officer thorough whom The corporation is licensed and that the officer is an authorized signatory of the trust Fund account. It is important to keep in mind that the broker is not relieved of the responsibilities under law when handling Trust Funds even if another party has been designated to sign for the withdrawal of those funds as outlined above. Interest-Bearing Accounts While it is not the norm for Trust Funds to be place in an interest bearing account, occasionally one or more of the principles to a transaction may request that it is done. Generally, the law does not allow for such funds to be placed in an interest bearing account. There are inherent problems with placing Trust Funds in an interest bearing account, such as determining who should benefit from the interest. At one point in time the funds may belong to one party and then, at another point in time the ownership of the funds might change to another party. Keeping track of who is owed the interest and in what proportion, can be difficult. However, placing Trust Funds into an interest bearing account is allowed when the owner of Trust Funds, or the principals to a transaction authorize the broker to do so and all of the following requirements of the Business and Professions Code Section 10145(d) are met: (1) The account is in the name of the broker as trustee for the designated beneficiary or principal of a transaction or series of transactions. (2) All of the funds in the account are covered by insurance provided by an agency of the United States. (3) The funds in the account are kept separate, distinct, and apart from funds belonging to the broker or to any other person for whom the broker holds funds in trust. (4) The broker discloses to the person from whom the trust funds are received, and to a beneficiary whose identity is known to the broker at the time of establishing the account, the nature of the account, how interest will be calculated and paid under various circumstances, whether service charges will be paid to the depository and by whom, and possible notice requirements or penalties for withdrawal of funds from the account.
(5) Interest earned on funds in the account may not inure directly or indirectly to the benefit of the broker or a person licensed to the broker. (6) In an executory sale, lease, or loan transaction in which the broker accepts funds in trust to be applied to the purchase, lease, or loan, the parties to the contract shall have specified in the contract or by collateral written agreement the person to whom interest earned on the funds is to be paid or credited. There is a second situation in which a real estate broker is allowed to deposit Trust Funds into an interest-bearing account. This is allowed when the broker is acting as an agent for a financial institution which is the beneficiary of a loan. A broker may place a borrower s funds into an interest-bearing impound account in a bank or savings and loan meeting the requirements of Section 2954.8 of the Civil Code. Impound accounts are established on behalf of a borrower and used to pay property taxes, assessments or insurance premiums due on property securing the loan (one-to-four family residence for the purpose of this law). Interest on these accounts belongs to the borrower (obligor). The following requirements of Commissioner s Regulations section 2830.1 must be met: 1. The account is in the name of the broker as trustee. 2. All of the funds in the account are covered by insurance provided by an agency of the federal government. 3. All of the funds in the account are funds held in trust by the broker for others. 4. The broker discloses to the obligor how interest will be calculated and paid. 5. No interest earned on the funds shall inure directly or indirectly to the benefitof the broker nor to any person licensed to the broker. II. Commingling Prohibited Commingling occurs when a broker places personal items of value or business operation funds into an account that also contains Trust Funds or vice versa. A licensee can have their license revoked or suspended if found guilty of commingling. The Business and Professions Code Section 10176(e) makes it a violation if a broker is, Commingling with his or her own money or property the money or other property of others which is received and held by him or her. Examples of Commingling are outlined in the Real Estate Reference Book chapter 21, pages 500-501 (available under publications on the BRE web site, www.bre.ca.gov ): 1. Personal or company funds are deposited into the trust fund bank account. Except for what is provided in Section 2835 of the Commissioner s Regulations as noted below, this is a violation of the law even if separate records are kept. 2. Trust Funds are deposited into the licensee s general or personal bank account rather than into the trust fund account. In this case the violation is not only commingling, but also handling Trust Funds contrary to Business and Professions Code Section 10145. It is also grounds for suspension or revocation of a license under Business and Professions Code Section 10177(d). 3. Commissions, fees, or other income earned by the broker and collectible from the
Trust Account are left in the Trust Account for more than 25 days from the date they were earned. A common example of commingling is depositing rents and security deposits on brokerowned properties into the Trust Account. As these funds relate to the broker s properties, they are not Trust Funds and, therefore, may not be deposited into the trust fund bank account. Likewise, the broker may not make mortgage payments and other payments on broker-owned properties from the Trust Account even if the broker reimburses the account for such payments. Conducting personal business through the Trust Account is strictly prohibited and is a violation of the Real Estate Law. There are a limited number of situations in which a broker may be allowed to have personal funds held in an account with Trust Funds. These exceptions are provided for in the Commissioner s Regulation 2835 which states that it is not commingling as defined in the Business and Professions Code Section 10176(e) in the following situations: (a) The deposit into a Trust Account of reasonably sufficient funds, not to exceed $200, to pay service charges or fees levied or assessed against the account by the bank or financial institution where the account is maintained. (b) The deposit into a Trust Account maintained in compliance with subdivision (d) of funds belonging in part to the broker s principal and in part to the broker when it is not reasonably practicable to separate such funds, provided the part of the funds belonging to the broker is disbursed not later than twenty-five days after the deposit and there is no dispute between the broker and the broker s principal as to the broker s portion of the funds. When the right of a broker to receive a portion of Trust Funds is disputed by the broker s principal, the disputed portion shall not be withdrawn until thedispute is finally settled. (c) The deposit into a Trust Account of broker-owned funds in connection with activities pursuant to either subdivision (d) or (e) of Section 10131 of the Code or when making, collecting payments on, or servicing a loan which is subject to the provisions of Section 10240 of the Code provided: (1) The broker meets the criteria of Section 10232 of the Code. (2) All funds in the account which are owned by the broker are identified at all times in a separate record which is distinct from any separate record maintained for a beneficiary. (3) All broker-owned funds deposited into the account are disbursed from the account not later than 25 days after their deposit. (4) The funds are deposited and maintained in compliance with item (d) below. (5) For this purpose of this section, a broker shall be deemed to be subject to the provisions of Section 10240 of the Code if the broker delivers the statement to the borrower required by Section 10240. (d) The trust fund account into which the funds are deposited is maintained inaccordance
with the provisions of Section 10145 and the regulation of this article. The article mentioned is Article 15 of the Commissioner s Regulations. The Code is the Business and Professions Code. The regulations above are summarized in the Real Estate Reference Book chapter 21, page 501: 1. Up to $200 to cover checking account service fees and other bank charges such as check printing charges and service fees on returned checks. Trust Funds may not be used to pay for these expenses. (The preferred practice, however, is for the broker to have the bank debit his/her own personal account for any Trust Account fees and charges.) 2. Commissions, fees, and other income earned by a broker and collectible from trust funds may remain in the Trust Account for a period not to exceed 25 days. Regulation 2835 recognizes that it may not always be practical to disburse the earned income immediately upon receipt. For instance, a property management company may find it too burdensome to collect its management fee every time a rent check is received and deposited to the Trust Account. Therefore, as long as the broker disburses the fee from the Trust Account within 25 days after deposit there is no commingling violation. Note, however, that income earned shall not be taken from Trust Funds received before depositing such funds into the trust bank account. Also, under no circumstances may the broker pay personal obligations from the trust fund bank account even if such payments are a draw against commissions or other income. The broker must issue a Trust Account check to himself/herself for the total amount of the income earned, adequately documenting such payment, and then pay personal obligations from the proceeds of that check. IX. Conversion of Trust Funds If Trust Funds are used for anything other than their intended use, especially if they are used for the benefit of those holding the funds in trust, it would be considered a conversion of Trust Funds. As an example; if a broker must pay the electric bill to keep the lights on in the office and the business account is short of the amount needed to pay that bill but the broker knows that an escrow is closing in a couple of days. In this case the broker may think that it would be acceptable to use funds held in trust to pay the electric bill and pay the trust fund back when the escrow closes. Despite the good intentions of the broker to reimburse the trust fund, and even after the broker does reimburse the trust fund, by using monies held in trust for the benefit of the broker or the broker s business, there was a conversion of Trust Funds. Even though the intention might be there to repay the trust fund as soon as the escrow closes, any broker should know that sometimes escrows are delayed or may fail to close. That would leave the supposed well-intentioned broker in the position of not being able to repay the Trust Account at all. Conversion of monies held in trust would be tantamount to theft or embezzlement. Obviously this would be a violation of the law and could result in severe penalties. If a broker, or someone that the broker has authorized to handle Trust Funds, converts those funds, the beneficiary of the
funds could file a civil suit. In addition, the broker could be fined or possibly imprisoned, not to mention the disciplinary action by the Bureau of Real Estate. The level of BRE discipline could vary dependent on the nature of the violation. For example, if the broker or the person designated to do the accounting, made accounting errors and, thinking that the balance of the Trust Account was sufficient to cover funds legally held but belonging to the broker, funds were distributed to the broker. Later it is discovered that, in fact, there was not enough in the account to cover the payment to the broker resulting in Trust Funds being used for a portion of the payment. In this situation the BRE penalties might not be as harsh as they would be if the conversion was intentional. A broker might be required to take additional educational courses in trust fund accounting and possibly the broker s license could be restricted. In more severe cases, there could be fines, suspension or even revocation of the broker s license. The serious nature of the violation of conversion of Trust Funds is made clear by The Business and Professions Code Section 10081.5: In the event the commissioner has conducted an audit which reflects commingling or conversion of trust funds in excess of ten thousand dollars ($10,000), the court may enter an order restraining the licensee from doing any act or acts in furtherance thereof, and from further exercising the privileges of his or her license pending further order of the court, provided that a hearing shall be held on the order within five days after the date thereof. After such hearing in the manner provided by law, an order may be entered appointing a receiver, or such other order as the court may deem proper. The order appointing the receiver shall specify the source of the funds from which the fees of the receiver and the costs of administering the receivership are to be paid. Unless provided for in the order, the commissioner shall not be liable for payment of the fees or costs. A receiver appointed by the court pursuant to this section may, with the approval of the court, exercise all of the powers of the licensee or its officers, directors, partners, trustees, or persons who exercise similar powers and perform similar duties, including the filing of a petition for bankruptcy of the licensee. The Bureau of Real Estate maintains a Recovery Fund. These funds come from the licensing fees paid by real estate licensees. A consumer that is financially damaged by the actions of a broker can make a claim against that recovery fund. If such a claim is paid, the Bureau of Real Estate will look to the violating broker for reimbursement of funds paid from the recovery fund. The Business and Professions Code section 10471(a) provides that when: conversion of trust funds, arising directly out of any transaction in which the defendant, while licensed under this part, performed acts for which a real estate license was required, the aggrieved person may, upon the judgment becoming final, file an application with the Department of Real Estate for payment from the Recovery Account,
within the limitations specified in Section 10474, of the amount unpaid on the judgment that represents an actual and direct loss to the claimant in the transaction. The importance of proper handling of Trust Funds along with the fact that many licensees did not follow, or were not aware of, proper procedures in handling Trust Funds resulted in the Bureau of Real Estate requiring a Trust Fund continuing education course such as this one, prior to the first license renewal. With subsequent renewals, a licensee is required to take a survey course covering all of the required courses, including Trust Funds. X. Trust Fund Liability When a broker receives funds to be held in trust on behalf of another and those funds are placed into a Trust Fund Account this creates liability for the Broker. A Broker s Trust Fund liability is equal to the total of all Trust Funds that are to be held in the Broker s Trust Fund Account. When there are multiple beneficiaries to a Trust Account the broker s liability is equal to the total positive balances due to all beneficiaries of the account at the time. Example: Beneficiary A balance = $ 500.00 Beneficiary B balance = $1,000.00 Beneficiary C balance = $5,000.00 Beneficiary D balance = $ 200.00 Account Total = $6,700.00 The Broker s Trust Fund Liability would be $6,700.00, the same as the account total in this example. Keep in mind that the broker can have up to $200.00 of broker s money in the account to pay any bank service fees. In that case, the account balance above could be $6,900.00 but the Broker s liability would still be only $6,700.00. If for any reason one or more beneficiaries has a negative balance, this negative amount is not deducted from the positive accounts of the other beneficiaries when calculating the Broker s Trust Fund Liability. Example: Beneficiary A balance = $ 500.00 Beneficiary B balance = $1,000.00 Beneficiary C balance = $5,000.00 Beneficiary D balance = - $ 200.00 Account Total = $6,500.00 In determining the Broker s Trust Fund liability the total of the positive amounts in the above example, $6,500.00 would be that liability. You would not deduct the $200.00 negative balance on Beneficiary D The total amount of the funds held in a Trust Account must always equal the total Trust Fund
Liability. If the account total is less than the liability, a shortage occurs. A shortage in a Trust Fund Account is a violation of Commissioner s Regulation 2832.1, which states that the written consent of every principal who is an owner of the funds in the account shall be obtained by a real estate broker prior to each disbursement if such a disbursement will reduce the balance of the funds in the account to an amount less than the existing aggregate trust fund liability of the broker to all owners of the funds. Using the example above (without the broker s $200.00), assuming this to be a property management account, the broker might be required to make payments on behalf of a beneficiary for repairs made to a rental. Using beneficiary A above, with a balance of $500.00; if a rental owned by beneficiary A needed emergency repairs costing $750.00, if the broker paid those costs out of the trust fund, using the $500.00 belonging to beneficiary A would be appropriate. However, that would leave beneficiary A with a zero balance and the broker s total liability would be $6,200.00. If he broker paid the additional $250 for the repair, the total account balance would be $5,950.00 but the liability would still be $6,200.00. A shortage would result. Essentially, the $250.00 paid on behalf of beneficiary A is coming from funds owned by the other beneficiaries. As mentioned, this could only be done if all beneficiaries were notified and agreed in writing to such a disbursement of funds. If the Trust Account balance ever becomes greater than the total liability, there is a trust fund overage. The amount of the overage might be construed as a broker s personal funds which could be commingling in violation of Business and Professions Code Section 10176(e). Again using the example above: If the broker is owed management fees from all of the beneficiaries amounting to $500.00, until those fees have been paid out of the fund to the broker, the broker s liability is only $6,200.00 while the account balance is $6,700.00. This overage is allowed for a 25-day period. If the broker has not disbursed the $500.00 within that 25-day period an overage would be in violation as mentioned above. According to The Real Estate Reference Book, chapter 21, page 502, A trust fund discrepancy of any kind is a serious violation of the Real Estate Law. Many real estate licenses have been revoked after a BRE audit disclosed a Trust Account shortage. To maintain Trust Account integrity a broker must always be guided by the following principles: 1. Never commingle personal or general operating funds with Trust Funds; 2. Always maintain the balance of the Trust Fund Account such that it equals the broker s total trust fund liability to all beneficiaries of the fund, and 3. Always maintain up-to-date, complete and accurate records of all Trust Funds received and disbursed by using appropriate accounting procedures. A Broker should have procedures in place that will ensure proper handling of Trust Funds and
that the balance of the Trust Account always equals the Trust Fund Liabilities. The following procedures are outlined on page 502 of The Real Estate Reference Book : l. Deposit intact and in a timely manner to the Trust Account all funds that are not forwarded to escrow or to the funds owner(s) or which are not held un-cashed as authorized in writing. This practice, required under Commissioner s Regulation 2832, lessens the risk of the funds being lost, misplaced, or otherwise not deposited to the Trust Account. A licensee is accountable for all Trust Funds received whether or not they are deposited. BRE auditors have seen numerous cases where Trust Fund rreceived were properly recorded on the books but were never deposited to the Trust Account. 2. Maintain adequate supporting papers for any disbursement from the Trust Account. Record the disbursement accurately in both the Bank Account Record and theseparate Beneficiary Record. The broker must be able to account for all disbursements of Trust Funds. Any unidentified disbursement will cause a shortage. 3. Disburse funds from a beneficiary s account only when the disbursement will not result in a negative or deficit balance (negative accountability) in the account. Many trust fund shortages are caused by disbursements to a beneficiary in excess of funds received from or for account of that beneficiary. The excess disbursements are, in effect, paid out of funds belonging to other beneficiaries. A shortage occurs because the balance of the trust fund bank account, even if it is a positive balance, is less than the broker s liability to the other beneficiaries. 4. Ensure that a check deposited to the trust fund account has cleared before disbursing funds against that check. This applies, for example, when a broker who has deposited an earnest money check for a purchase transaction has to return the funds to the buyer because the offer is rejected by the seller. A trust fund shortage will result if the broker issues the buyer a Trust Account check and the buyer s deposit check bounces or for some reason fails to clear the bank. 5. Keep accurate, current and complete records of the Trust Account and the separate record for each beneficiary. These records are essential to ensure that disbursements are correct. 6. On a monthly basis, reconcile the cash record with the bank statement and with the separate record for each beneficiary or transaction. XI. ACCOUNTING RECORDS The Regulations of The Real Estate Commissioner, section 2836 has the heading Subdivider and Broker Records. This section requires that; (a)(1) A subdivider shall maintain or cause to be maintained, in accordance with accepted accounting practices, records of all funds received from prospective purchasers or lessees of subdivions interest... (b) A broker shall maintain or cause to be maintained, in accordance with accepted
accounting practices, all trust fund records described in Section 10148 of the Code. (c) Such records shall be made available for examination and inspection in California during regular business hours upon request by the commissioner or his or her designated representative. The law requires it and it is the Broker s fiduciary duty to the client to properly maintain records to account for Trust Funds received and disbursed. Commissioner s Regulation 2831 (a) requires, Every broker shall keep a record of all trust funds received, including un-cashed checks held pursuant to instructions of his or her principal. This record, including records maintained under an automated data processing system, shall set forth in chronological sequence the following information in columnar form: (1) Date trust funds received. (2) From whom trust funds received. (3) Amount received. (4) With respect to funds deposited in a account, date of said deposit (5) With respect to trust funds previously deposited to an account, check number and date of related disbursement. (6) With respect to trust funds not deposited in an account, identity of other depository and date funds were forwarded. (7) Daily balance of said account. With regards to Trust Funds held for multiple beneficiaries, Commissioner s Regulation section 2831.1 states that, A broker shall keep a separate record for each beneficiary or transaction, accounting for all funds which have been deposited to the broker s trust bank account and interest, if any, earned on the funds on deposit. This record shall include information sufficient to identify the transaction and the parties to the transaction. Each record shall set forth in chronological sequence the following information in columnar form: (1) Date of deposit. (2) Amount of deposit. (3) Date of each related disbursement. (4) Check number of each related disbursement. (5) Amount of each related disbursement. (6) If applicable, dates and amounts of interest earned and credited to the account. (7) Balance after posting transactions on any date. Accounting for Trust Funds received and disbursed is required in all situations where the Broker receives funds to be held in trust. This would mean good faith deposit checks held uncashed as allowed by Commissioner Regulations 2832 (c), funds that are deposited into the Brokers, funds sent to escrow and funds that are released to the owner(s) of the funds.
The purpose of this accounting is several-fold. The Real Estate Reference Book, pages 502 through 503 lists the following: 1. provide a basis upon which the broker can prepare an accurate accounting for clients. 2. state the amount of money the broker owes the account beneficiaries at any one time. (This is especially important when there are a large number of transactions.) 3. prove whether or not there is an imbalance in the Trust Account. Some brokers audited by BRE have disagreed that their Trust Accounts had a shortage or an overage in the amount disclosed by the audit, but could not provide documentation to support their position. 4. guarantee that beneficiary funds deposited in the Trust Account will be insured up to the maximum FDIC insurance coverage. A Broker has a choice of two types of accounting procedures for Trust Fund accounting. This would be true whether the records are accomplished manually or by computerized accounting programs. How the Broker accomplishes the required accounting could depend upon the nature of the Broker s business, the number of transactions, the types of records necessary and number of clients served by the Broker. A Broker handling a small number of transactions might choose to manually record Trust Fund transactions using a simple, columnar records method of accounting. A larger brokerage with numerous transactions, a property management firm or Mortgage Broker might find it easier to use a computer accounting program. Commissioner s Regulations 2831 and 2831.1 provide for the use of a Columnar Recording Method or for records other than columnar using generally accepted accounting practices. As written in The Real Estate Reference Book, page 503, Regardless of the type of records used, they must include the following information: 1.all trust fund receipts and disbursements, with pertinent details, presented in chronological sequence; 2. the balance of the trust fund account, based on recorded transactions; 3.all receipts and disbursements affecting each beneficiary s balance, presented in chronological sequence; and 4. the balance owing to each beneficiary or for each transaction. Columnar Records The Bureau of Real Estate provides forms for maintaining Columnar Records. These forms are available on the Bureau s web site (www.bre.ca.gov) by clicking on the forms link. The forms are as follows: RE 4522, Columnar Record Of All Trust Funds Received And Paid Out, Trust Fund Bank Account RE 4523, Separate Record For Each Beneficiary Or Transaction For Client s Funds Placed In Trust Fund Bank Account
RE 4524, Record Of All Trust Funds Received Not Placed In Brokers Trust Account RE 4525, Separate Record For Each Property Managed Form RE 4521, Trust Fund Record Keeping Information, gives a description of each of the above forms and their use. All five of these forms are shown in the Appendix to this course. Records in the format of forms RE 4522 and RE 4523 are required when Trust Funds received are deposited to the trust fund bank account. Records in the format of form RE 4524 are required when Trust Funds received are forwarded to the authorized person(s) rather than deposited into the Trust Account. With Trust Funds resulting from property management, the broker can choose to use form RE 4525, the Separate Record for Each Property Managed rather than RE 4523, the Separate Record for Each Beneficiary or Transaction. Commissioner s Regulation 2951 requires that a broker who has an escrow division as part of the broker s business keep the above-mentioned records for escrow funds. The Use of BRE Forms RE 4522, Record of All Trust Funds Received and Paid Out - Trust Fund Bank Account The description for this form given on RE 4121 states that the form is used to record all Trust Funds received and deposited into the trust fund bank account and the disbursements from such account. The labels for each column on the form indicates the minimum information required in columnar form: date funds were received, name of party giving the funds, a description of the property or reason for receipt of funds, amount received, a reference to the funds receive, such as check number, date funds were deposited, amount paid out in disbursements, check number for that disbursement, date of that disbursement and the daily balance of the trust account. Transactions are recorded as they are received, in chronological order. If a Broker has more than one Trust Fund Bank Account, a separate columnar record must be maintained for each bank account. RE 4523, Separate Record for Each Beneficiary or Transaction The description given for this form on RE 4521 states that this record is maintained for each transaction or Beneficiary of trust funds deposited to and disbursed from the trust bank account including any interest earned, if applicable. This form provides the broker with the means to track the funds owed to each beneficiary or for
each transaction. Again, the information is entered in chronological order and the column headings indicated the required information; the transaction or beneficiary is identified at the top of the form. Then a description for each record entered; for funds paid out, the date of check, check number and the amount of the check, for funds received, the date of deposit and the amount of the deposit and, finally, the balance of the account after the transaction has been recorded. The Broker must maintain a separate record for each beneficiary or transaction from which funds are deposited to or disbursed from the trust fund bank account. Just as with RE 4522, when a Broker has more than one Trust Fund Bank Account, a separate record must be kept for each account. Each separate Trust Fund Bank Account must have its own set of beneficiary or transaction records. The account balance for each of these records must be reconciled with each individual trust fund bank account totals shown on RE 4522. RE 4524, Record of All Trust Funds Received - Not Placed in Broker s Trust Account As noted in the title of the form, it is used to keep track of funds received by the Broker but that are not deposited into a trust fund bank account. The fact that the broker is handling the funds requires that the broker keep records of these funds. The Real Estate Reference Book, page 504 gives the following example of funds to be recorded on this form: 1. earnest money deposits forwarded to escrow; 2. rents forwarded to landlords; and 3. borrowers payments forwarded to lenders. The information required for this form is indicated once more by the headings to each column; the date funds were received, the form of payment (check, note, etc.), amount received, name of party giving funds, description of property or transaction, identity of the party to whom funds were forwarded, and date of disposition. This information is recorded in chronological sequence based upon the date of receipt of the funds. The disposition of the funds is recorded on the line corresponding with the receipt despite the fact that the disbursements may not be chronological. Brokers are reminded in The Real Estate Reference Book, page 504, that Transaction folders usually maintained by a broker for each real estate sales transaction showing the receipt and disposition of undeposited checks are not acceptable alternatives to the Record of Trust Funds Received But Not Deposited to the Trust Fund Bank Account. The Reference Book goes on to say that, An exception to this record keeping requirement is provided in Commissioner s Regulation 2831(e), which states that a broker is not required to keep records of checks made payable to service providers, including but not limited to escrow, credit and
appraisal services, when the total amount of such checks for any transaction does not exceed $1,000. However, a broker shall retain for three years copies of receipts issued or obtained in connection with the receipt and distribution of such checks and, upon request of the Department or the maker of the checks, a broker must account for the receipt and distribution of the checks. RE 4525, Separate Record for Each Property Managed If a Broker chooses to use form RE 4525, that broker will not be required to use Form RE 4523 for any transactions covered by separate records for each Property managed. Use of RE 4525 gives the Broker an opportunity to list information that is more specific to an individual properties rather than to a beneficiary or specific transaction. For example, the form can include information such as the name of the tenant, the amount of deposit on hand, monthly rent amount and commissions owed. Along with this, the usual information is given; date funds are received, party received from, description of the funds received (rent, deposit), receipt or check number, date deposited, amount disbursed and the account balance. The balances shown on RE 4525 must equal the balance shown RE 4522 on any given date. If there are any differences, the broker must be able to reconcile the two forms. OTHER ACCOUNTING SYSTEMS AND RECORDS If a broker chooses not to use the columnar reporting methods provided by the BRE forms, it is permissible for the broker to use other methods of accounting that follow generally accepted accounting principles. The web site, www.allbusiness.com displayed an article explaining the term generally accepted accounting principles. The article stated that Every day, accountants make judgments about how to record business transactions. They often base their decisions on the financial objectives of the companies for which they work. Other times they turn to generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) to steer their decisions. GAAP are not a fixed set of rules. They are guidelines or, more precisely, a group of objectives and conventions that have evolved over time to govern how financial statements are prepared and presented. The Financial Accounting Standards Board, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the Securities and Exchange Commission provide guidance about acceptable accounting practices. When using these accepted accounting practices, the broker must include the detailed information required by the Commissioner s Regulations as indicated by the information required on the above forms. The accounting procedures must make it possible to track the receipt, deposit of and disbursement of Trust Funds and reconciliation with the Trust Fund Bank Accounts. According to The Real Estate Reference Book, on page 504, when preparing these records,
Whether prepared manually or by computer, they must include at least the following: 1. A journal to record in chronological sequence the details of all trust fund transactions. 2. A cash ledger to show the bank balance as affected by the transactions recorded inthe journal. The ledger is posted in the form of debits and credits. (In some casesthe cash ledger may be combined with the journal.) 3. A beneficiary ledger for each of the beneficiary accounts to show in chronological sequence the transactions affecting each beneficiary s account, as well as the balance of the account. To comply with generally accepted accounting principles, there must be one set of journal, cash ledger, and beneficiary ledger for each trust fund bank account. Journal A journal is a daily chronological record of transactions sometimes called the book of original entry. The journal posts a record of trust fund receipts and disbursements. One journal may be used for both the receipts and the disbursements, or a separate journal may be used for each. At a minimum, a journal must include the following: 1. Daily chronological records all trust fund transactions 2. The information needed for the columnar forms such as amount received or disbursed, check number or related documentation, date of the transaction, identification of parties and information necessary to identify a beneficiary s account. 3. The records entered into the journal are the basis for the information to be recorded in the ledgers. The journal information must correlate to the ledgers and the totals posted in the ledgers should be the same as those posted in the journal. 4. A total of the receipts and disbursements regularly, not less than monthly. Cash Ledger The cash ledger is a record of the periodic increases and decreases (debits and credits) in the trust fund bank account showing the account balance. The journal can include the cash ledger or a separate record, such as a general ledger account can be used. When the cash ledger is separate from the journal, the items posted in the ledger must be based on the transactions recorded in the journal. Dollar amounts posted in the ledger must be the same as those posted in the journal. Beneficiary Ledger A broker s trust fund liability to each beneficiary can be tracked by use of the beneficiary ledger. The Broker must keep a separate ledger for each beneficiary or each transaction or series of transactions. Entries are posted chronologically, entering the details of receipts and disbursements for each beneficiary account and showing the resulting balances for those accounts. As with the cash ledger, the beneficiary ledger entries must be based on the journal entries.