Violations; damages.

(a) No licensed real estate broker shall be required to pay a referral fee or commission when reasonable cause for payment does not exist.

(b) No third party shall knowingly interfere with the real estate brokerage relationship of a real estate licensee.

(c) Any person aggrieved by a violation of any provision of this article may bring a civil action in any court of competent jurisdiction. The damages recoverable in such an action shall be actual damages and, in addition, the court may award an amount up to three times the amount of actual damages sustained as a result of any violation of this article, plus reasonable attorney fees and expenses.

(Act 2000-210, p. 277, §2.)