Georgia § 10-1-435 - Civil remedies for violations.

§ 10-1-435. Civil remedies for violations.

An art dealer, including a dealer consignee, who offers or sells a multiple in, into, or from this state without providing the information required in Code Sections 10-1-431 and 10-1-432 or who provides information which is mistaken, erroneous, or untrue, except for harmless errors such as typographical errors, shall be liable to the purchaser of the multiple. The art dealer's liability shall consist of the consideration paid by the purchaser for the multiple, with interest at the legal rate thereon, upon the return of the multiple in the condition in which received by the purchaser. In any case in which an art dealer, including a dealer consignee, willfully offers or sells a multiple in violation of this part, the person purchasing such multiple may recover from the art dealer, including a dealer consignee, who offers or sells such multiple an amount equal to three times the amount required under subsection (a) of this Code section. No action shall be maintained to enforce any liability under this Code section unless brought within one year after discovery of the violation upon which it is based and in no event more than three years after the multiple was sold. In any action to enforce any provision of this part, the court may allow the prevailing purchaser the costs of the action together with reasonable attorneys' and expert witnesses' fees. In the event, however, the court determines that an action to enforce was brought in bad faith, it may allow such expenses to the seller as it deems appropriate. These remedies shall not bar or be deemed inconsistent with a claim for damages or with the exercise of additional remedies otherwise available to the purchaser. In any proceeding in which an art dealer relies upon a disclaimer of knowledge as to any relevant information set forth in Code Section 10-1-432 for any time period, such disclaimer shall be effective unless the claimant is able to establish that the art dealer failed to make reasonable inquiries, according to the custom and usage of the trade, to ascertain the relevant information or that such relevant information would have been ascertained as a result of such reasonable inquiries. (Code 1981, § 10-1-435 , enacted by Ga. L. 1986, p. 635, § 1.)