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BRIGGS AND MORGAN <br />respect, I agree with Mr. Shainess. While it is true that the methods used to compensate the <br />Incentive Compensation are, in many respects, very similar to the methods used to compensate <br />real estate brokers for the sale of real estate. That doesn't mean that anyone who is compensated <br />in this manner is engaged in the sale of real estate. As indicated above, a fair reading of the <br />Purchase and Sales Agreements make it clear that Landform was to provide a broad basket of <br />services to the HRA and that all of these services, together, were intended to promote and cause <br />development of the HRA's property. There is no reason why the HRA could not, if it so chose, <br />agree to provide Incentive Compensation to Landform for all of these services including the <br />many services for which a broker's license is not required under Minnesota Statutes Chapter 82. <br />II. CONCLUSION <br />I think this is a difficult issue. I think the Purchase and Sales Agreements do contemplate <br />Landform providing certain services to the HRA which are services that Minnesota Statutes <br />Chapter 82.55, subd. 19(a) indicates require a real estate brokerage license. It appears to me that <br />the drafter's of the Purchase and Sales Agreements realized that this was, at a minimum, a close <br />issue and attempted to address it with the language in Article X of the Purchase and Sales <br />Agreement, but I do not see the language of Article X overcoming either the language in the <br />Contractor's Proposal or the facts as to the actual services provided by Landform. <br />Landform may argue that even if the Purchase of Services Agreements contemplate <br />Landform's providing brokerage services, the intent was that those services be provided at no <br />compensation and that Landform only be compensated for the other services. We could not find <br />any Minnesota case law addressing that argument, but to me it is unpersuasive. Otherwise, it <br />would be far too easy for parties to circumvent the intention of Minnesota Statutes Chapter 82 by <br />providing for "free" brokerage services and then compensation for other services for which a <br />brokerage license is not required. <br />While I do believe that the Purchase of Services Agreements contemplated Landform's <br />providing services for which a brokerage license is required and I do believe that Landform did <br />provide some of those services, I do not agree with the conclusion of the Huberty Memo that all <br />of the Incentive Compensation is, necessarily, attributable to those brokerage services. <br />Therefore, while I believe that the HRA may have a grounds for withholding payment of some <br />portion of Landforms compensation, I find no clear legal basis for advising the HRA as to the <br />appropriate amount of compensation to withhold. Withholding all Incentive Compensation, may <br />unfairly deny Landform Incentive Compensation they have earned for non -brokerage services. <br />Although I have no legal basis for this conclusion, in my judgment it would be appropriate to <br />withhold from Landform's Incentive Compensation and amount equal to the typical commission <br />a commercial broker in Ramsey would earn on a sale of vacant land, assuming the land sold for <br />its fair market value. <br />7 <br />5240409v3 <br />