KEY POINTS:
An LJ Hooker real estate agent told a seller she was so difficult her husband deserved a medal for living with her.
This was revealed during a disciplinary hearing by the Real Estate Institute, which fined the agency the maximum penalty for breaching industry standards.
The Auckland couple listed a property with Good Real Estate, a member of the LJ Hooker Group, and the wife had been presented with an offer, which she rejected.
In response, the agent telephoned her and made the accusation. She lodged a complaint with the institute.
Good Real Estate was fined the maximum $750 under the institute's rules, $400 in costs and $50 GST.
The LJ Hooker agent, whose name was suppressed, failed to act in accordance with good agency practices and behave in a manner which reflected well on the institute, its members and the profession, the institute found.
The outcome of disciplinary action against six real estate agencies has been made public.
People can lodge complaints with the institute if agents have breached its code of ethics or rules of practice which stipulate how agents must behave.
But the Government hopes to bring in a tough customer-oriented system because it believes the institute's process is not transparent.
The cases were published in RE, the institute's journal.
Another LJ Hooker firm, North Otago Real Estate, was fined after an agent was found to have used "scare tactics" against a tenant who owed rent.
The agent gave the tenant seven days' notice to quit and pay the rent, failing to give written notice, abide by the terms of the Residential Tenancies Act or to apply to the Tenancy Tribunal for an eviction notice.
The firm was ordered to pay $750 for breaking one rule, $750 for breaking another rule, $400 costs and $50 GST.
Right Move Realty, a member of Ray White Real Estate, was fined $1500 after property managers failed to follow instructions and failed to collect enough rent.
Dixell Realty of Christchurch was fined a total of $3600 after the institute heard two separate complaints against it, both on property management issues.
Rental properties were damaged, whiteware was stolen and rent was in arrears.
Those responsible failed to adequately deal with the problems, the institute found.
