Final answer:
If a landowner refuses to pay a commission to a broker who has sold lots, the broker can potentially sue for breach of contract or file a lien against remaining lots, assuming legal agreements are in place. Reporting to real estate licensing authorities is also possible but does not guarantee payment.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question you are asking pertains to the legal rights and actions available to a real estate broker when a landowner refuses to pay a commission after the broker sells some of the lots.
If Broker Ernie had an agreement with Landowner Shelley to sell the lots and is not paid his commission, the broker has potential legal recourse. The most likely action would be b. sue the landowner for breach of contract, assuming there was a contractual agreement for the commission.
Broker Ernie may have the option to a. file a lien against the landowners remaining lots if the jurisdiction allows for such actions and the broker has followed the necessary legal steps to protect his commission through a lien.
While he could report the landowner to the real estate licensing authorities, this would not necessarily result in the payment of the commission but might lead to disciplinary actions against the landowner if any real estate laws were violated.
Lastly, doing nothing would, of course, result in no commission being paid, which is why most brokers would opt for legal recourse in such situations.