December 2008

In This Issue:

• Message From The Secretary
• Message From The Executive Director
• Contact Information Updates
• eNewsroom

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Message From The Secretary

Back in August, when I was appointed the Secretary of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, I set several goals for my first few months. Now that we are in the holiday season and nearing the end of this year, I have taken the time to reflect on those goals and assess my progress. I would like to share some of these goals and the progress we have made in reaching those goals during my time as Secretary.

One of the first goals I set for myself was to improve the licensure application process. We have started to achieve this goal by examining our applications and comparing them to law and rule. We want to ensure that we are only asking from you what the laws and rules require and nothing more. In several instances, we have been asking for more than what is required. We are now removing those requirements. We also are identifying requirements that are in law and rule that may no longer be necessary. In those cases, we will be asking the legislature and individual boards for their input. This is a tedious task but an important one, and I am pleased with the progress we have made.

Within my first few weeks as Secretary, I realized that it can be difficult working in a statewide agency based in Tallahassee, as I am not always readily able to meet with customers in other areas of the state. Knowing that insight provided by the end-user is the most valuable, I wanted to develop an initiative based on that fact. That is why we started the "On the Road to Better Business." I have traveled to our district offices across the state and given licensees the opportunity to meet with me in person. I have brought their feedback back to Tallahassee, and we are already making changes based on the feedback from those meetings.

Meeting with licensees and consumers provided me with great insight, but I also wanted to meet and form relationships with my fellow Governor appointees. DBPR provides services and support to 19 different boards and councils. It was my goal to meet or attend one meeting of each professional board before the end of the year. Looking back, this was a lofty goal. Although I will be just shy of my goal by the end of the December, I am scheduled to meet with all of the Boards before the end of January. I know that as public servants, we have the same goal to provide great service to our licensees and protect the public. We must work together to achieve our goals.

My first few months as Secretary of DBPR have been so rewarding. We have made great progress and we are working hard to achieve our goals. As I continue to assess our progress, we will have achieved some goals, some will carry over into next year and new goals will be created. We will continue to look for ways to serve you better while keeping public safety as our first priority. It is our duty to you and the citizens of Florida.

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Message From The Executive Director

Auctioneer Recovery Fund

The Auctioneer Recovery Fund was established by the Florida Legislature under Section 468.392, Florida Statutes, to pay losses sustained by consumers from licensed auctioneers not fulfilling their obligations under a contract with a consumer.

Did you know each time a payment is made from the fund, the auctioneer responsible has their license suspended by the Department until they make payment back into the fund?  If the fund balance drops below $200,000, the Board of Auctioneers can assess you a surcharge at renewal.

Fortunately at this time, there is no surcharge required to maintain the recovery fund balance. However, based on the recent increase in claims being presented to the Department, the possibility does exist. You can help reduce the number of claims against the recovery fund by reporting your colleagues’ alleged violations to the Department. By reporting alleged illegal business practices against the profession, you are doing your part in maintaining the professional reputation of Florida auctioneers.

We have staff assigned in district offices throughout the state who can take complaints. You can also download a complaint form from the Department’s Web site. The Web link is http://www.myflorida.com/dbpr/reg/complaint.html.  Many individuals do not want their personal information tied to a complaint. Our staff can take an anonymous complaint, but be aware you will not receive any updates during the investigation phase if you choose to remain anonymous.

Your best defense in helping maintain the professional image of the Florida auctioneers profession lies with you. Have you done your part today?

Until next time,
Anthony B. Spivey, Executive Director

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Contact Information Updates

Please help us by notifying the Department when your address, telephone number, and/or e-mail changes. Service by regular mail to a licensee’s last known address of record constitutes adequate and sufficient notice to the licensee for any official communication, so it is important that your contact information is correct.

You may change your mailing address using our online services at www.MyFloridaLicense.com. If you have any questions regarding this requirement, or need assistance using the online services menu, please telephone the Customer Contact Center at 850.487.1395 or please use our convenient contact form to submit any comments and/or questions you may have. In order to better serve you, please include as much information as possible about the nature of your request.

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eNewsroom

Check out DBPR's eNewsroom, your source for important Department news and information. Here, you can watch public service announcements, read news releases, and subscribe to and flip through our publications.

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The Correct Zip Code Makes a Difference!

The Department's Bureau of Central Intake and Licensure, located within the Division of Service Operations, receives and processes your license applications. To ensure your application and required documentation is sent directly to the Bureau of Central Intake and Licensure section for processing, always use the correct zip code, "plus-4" on all correspondence you send to us. The "plus-4" refers to the unique four-digit code that identifies the divisions and offices within the Department. The proper zip code, plus-4 for the Bureau of Central Intake and Licensure is 32399-0783. Thanks for helping us serve you better!

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Visit us on the Web at www.MyFloridaLicense.com

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