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Given that the 2% compensation to Landform is not enforceable, the question then <br />becomes whether the City of Ramsey should pay it anyway. There are at least two <br />reasons why the City should not pay it. First, public policy, as demonstrated by the <br />continued force of section 82.85, does not support compensating unlicensed brokers for <br />their services, See PEMS, 2011 WL 69098, at *3-4 (observing that unlicensed broker <br />"forfeits his right to collect compensation for his services"). Second, and perhaps more <br />importantly, the City of Ramsey charter provides: <br />The proceeds of any sale of such property shall be used as far as possible <br />to retire any outstanding indebtedness incurred by the city in the purchase, <br />construction, or improvement of this or other property used for the same <br />public purpose. If there is no such outstanding indebtedness, the council <br />may by resolution designate some other public use for the proceeds. <br />Ramsey City Charter § 12.5.8 This provision prioritizes how the City should use its funds <br />from the sale of land; paying Landform compensation based on an unenforceable contract <br />is not the priority. See Id. <br />CONCLUSION <br />Landform is not entitled to compensation for its role in selling land in the City of Ramsey <br />because Lazan, the person acting on behalf of Landform, is not a licensed broker. The <br />City has no obligation to pay Landform and public policy and the City's Charter weigh <br />against compensation. <br />8 The Ramsey City Charter is publicly available at <br />http://www.ci.ramsey.mn.us/sites/default/files/documents/AboutUs/Charter2010.pdf <br />6 <br />