While on vacation in Colorado, Massachusetts resident Ms. Jetset meets Mr. Snow, a registered representative with a Colorado broker-dealer, on a ski lift and accepts a dinner engagement with him later that evening, during which he obtains her cell phone number. A week later, while she is lounging around in her Florida beach condo, he calls and interests her in a local software company that is selling its preferred stock to investors and encourages her to buy it. Ms. Jetset tells Mr. Snow she’ll think about it and calls him after she returns to her home in Massachusetts to tell him to buy the stock for her and sends him a check via express mail. Later, Ms. Jetset learns that the preferred stock certificate that she received is-and always was-a worthless piece of paper, and that, in fact, no such company ever existed. Which state Administrator has jurisdiction in this instance?
I. the Administrator of the state of Colorado
II. the Administrator of the state of Florida
III. the Administrator of the state of Massachusetts
Explanation
Answer: D - All three state administrators have jurisdiction since Mr. Snow made the offer to sell from Colorado, to a person who was in Florida at the time, and Ms. Snow accepted the offer and received the certificate in her home state of Massachusetts. According to NASAA, an Administrator has jurisdiction over all offers and all acceptances of offers to purchase or sell securities if they “originate from, are directed to, or are accepted in a state.
