Florida Auction Businesses to Remain Regulated

On May 6, 2011, the Florida Senate failed to pass the bill that would have completely deregulated all brick and mortar auction businesses in the state of Florida. Whew! That's a relief.

In an effort to cut costs within an already expanding budget, the Florida House of Representatives passed bill HB 5055 on April 7th. This bill called for the deregulation of 19 different industries to include auctioneers and auction houses. The uproar from the auction community, which has always had a love/hate relationship with the current rules and regulations, was loud and swift. Looks like it was more love than hate all along.

While the house voted with the bill in one hand and the budget in the other, the senate voted to keep the auction industry moving in the right direction instead. Slowly but surely the auction business has cleaned up its act during the last seven decades or so and it seems that the senate wanted that to continue.

Much of the credit for the increased credibility that brick and mortar auctions enjoy today can be credited to the existing rules and regulations that the governor and the House of Representatives were so anxious to strike down. The remainder of the credit belongs to all the auctioneers and auction house owners who go to great lengths to police themselves. Unlike those who came before, they realize that word of mouth is the best and most cost effective form of advertising. Most members of the auction industry want to do it right because not only do they want your business, they also want your neighbor's business.

No one likes excessive regulation. However, at the same time, the auction industry doesn't want to return to prehistoric days when so many people thought they were being cheated. Some of it stemmed from people not understanding how the auction business works. A lot of it didn't.

Florida almost succeeded in keeping more money in their till but it would have been at the expense of customers who have a right to receive fair and honest treatment.

Because the state senate paid attention to what the auction industry had to say about the deregulation bill, fly-by-night auction houses won't be setting up shop just long enough to take advantage of an unsuspecting public. Now that HB 5055 is dead, potential customers can continue to go to the government site and research a specific auctioneer or auction house. They can see if there are any issues or complaints they need to worry about.

Everyone who loves the auction industry in Florida can once again breathe a sigh of relief.

Written by Anne Benedetto, Auction House Talk
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