DO-NOT-CALL LAWS STRENGTHENED

President Bush recently signed legislation that strengthens the nation's do-not-call laws, which ban Realtors and other businesses from making certain types of phone calls to private homes. Under the new law, consumers do not have to re-register every five years to keep their phone number on the federal Do-Not-Call (DNC) list, but the DNC will "scrub" the current list on a monthly basis to remove all reassigned or disconnected phone numbers. The legislation also changes the method for collecting fees from registered users, tying future rate increases to the Consumer Price Index. Currently, the cost is $54 per area code or $14,850 for the whole list, with the first five area codes free. Companies with an "established business relationship" with a customer may still call homes for up to 18 months after the last purchase, payment or delivery. FAR offers a member benefit to help Realtors comply with the sometimes-complicated rules through DNCQuickcheck. The program helps members adhere not only to federal do-not-call rules but also Florida rules and, if calling out of state, any rules in effect beyond the state's borders. For more information, go to: http://www.floridarealtors.org/ToolsAndSupport/DoNotCallProgram/index.cfm