(A) No motor vehicle auction owner licensed under Chapter 4517. of the Revised Code shall:

(1) Engage in the sale of motor vehicles at retail from the same licensed location;

(2) Knowingly permit the auctioning of a motor vehicle if the motor vehicle auction owner has reasonable cause to believe it is not being offered for sale by the legal owner of the motor vehicle;

(3) Knowingly permit the sale of a motor vehicle to any person except the following:

(a) A motor vehicle dealer licensed in this state or any other jurisdiction, or any other person licensed pursuant to Chapter 4517. of the Revised Code or a substantially similar statute of any other jurisdiction;

(b) A person who purchases a motor vehicle from a licensed motor vehicle dealer at an auction of motor vehicles conducted at the licensed motor vehicle dealer's place of business in accordance with division (B) of this section;

(c) A person who purchases a classic motor vehicle, as defined in section 4517.021 of the Revised Code, at an auction conducted at the established place of business of a licensed motor vehicle auction owner where only classic motor vehicles are being auctioned.

(4) Knowingly permit the sale of a motor vehicle by any person who is not licensed pursuant to Chapter 4517. of the Revised Code, except by insurers and subrogees selling only those motor vehicles that have come into their possession through the operation of the terms of an insurance contract;

(5) Knowingly permit any person to violate section 4517.19 of the Revised Code;

(6) Deny reasonable inspection of the motor vehicle auction owner's business records, relating to the sale of motor vehicles, to the registrar of motor vehicles or the attorney general, when requested in writing to do so. The motor vehicle auction owner shall maintain for a period of six years from the date of the sale of a motor vehicle at least the following information:

(a) The year, make, model and vehicle identification number of the motor vehicle;

(b) The name and address of the selling dealer;

(c) The name and address of the buying dealer;

(d) The date of the sale;

(e) The purchase price;

(f) The odometer reading of the motor vehicle at the time of sale and an odometer disclosure statement from the seller that complies with subchapter IV of the "Motor Vehicle Information and Cost Savings Act," 86 Stat. 961 (1972), 15 U.S.C. 1981.

A motor vehicle auction owner may supplement the required information with any additional information the motor vehicle auction owner considers appropriate.

(7) Knowingly permit a dealer whose license has been suspended or revoked, or a person whose application for a license to operate as a dealer has been denied, to participate as a buyer or seller at the motor vehicle auction owner's auction after notification by the registrar of the suspension or revocation of a license, or denial of an application for a license. The registrar shall notify each auction owner by certified mail, return receipt requested, within five business days of the suspension or revocation of a license, or the denial of an application for license. Any motor vehicle auction owner who has knowledge of the presence at the motor vehicle auction owner's auction of a dealer whose license has been suspended or revoked, or of a person whose application for a license to operate as a dealer has been denied, shall immediately cause the removal of the person from the auction.

(8) Knowingly accept a motor vehicle for sale or possible sale by a dealer whose license has been suspended or revoked, during the period of suspension or revocation, or by a person whose application for a license to operate as a dealer has been denied, after notification by the registrar, in accordance with division (G) of this section, of the suspension or revocation of the license, or denial of an application for a license.

(9) Knowingly permit the auctioning of a motor vehicle whose ownership is not evidenced at the time of auctioning by a current certificate of title or a manufacturer's certificate of origin, and all title assignments that evidence the seller's ownership of the motor vehicle, without first giving clear and unequivocal notice of the lack of such evidence.

(B) Notwithstanding any provision of Chapter 4517. of the Revised Code to the contrary, a licensed motor vehicle auction owner, in addition to engaging in the business of auctioning motor vehicles at the auction owner's established place of business, may engage in the business of auctioning a licensed motor vehicle dealer's motor vehicles at that licensed motor vehicle dealer's established place of business, provided such dealer's place of business is not owned, operated, or in any way managed by a motor vehicle auction owner or subsidiary. The motor vehicle auction owner is not required to obtain an additional license for each dealer's premises at which the motor vehicle auction owner is engaging in the business of auctioning motor vehicles, regardless of whether the dealer's premises are located in another county, but the motor vehicle auction owner is required to have a certified copy of the auction owner's license available for inspection when the auction owner is engaging in the business of auctioning motor vehicles at an established place of business of a licensed motor vehicle dealer.

(C) Whoever violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.

Effective Date: 12-03-1996; 2007 HB67 07-03-2007; 2008 SB129 12-30-2009; 2008 HB444 04-07-2009 .