Real estate agent ruling on forgery amended

Mr Dodd admitted forging Ms Brady's signature and initials. File photo / NZ Herald

The Real Estate Agents Disciplinary Tribunal has amended its forgery ruling against suspended Christchurch realtor Lindsay James Dodd.

The agent, who once worked at Harveys and L.J. Hooker, had his licence suspended for 12 months in February after the tribunal found he had committed a serious breach of the law over loans applications made to National Bank.

The tribunal's initial decision, live until yesterday, mentioned a total forgery figure of more than $1 million.

Now, that figure has been deleted and Stephanie Grieve, Mr Dodd's lawyer, says that the original decision has been changed.

"The tribunal website has now been updated to include the amended decision," she told the Herald.

"This has been the result of communications between us on behalf of Mr Dodd with the tribunal and with opposing counsel since the decision was released, due to our concern that the decision inaccurately reflected the amount of borrowing."

Maree Joan Brady, who married Mr Dodd in 2004 but is now separated from him, complained that his behaviour was disgraceful and that her signature was forged a number of times between 2005 and 2007.

She said that she did not sign loan applications for $108,870 in 2005 or $149,000 in 2006.

Ms Brady's complaint was first assessed by a committee formed by the Real Estate Agents Authority, which then sent it on to the tribunal.

This more powerful panel decided that Mr Dodd's conduct warranted either licence cancellation or suspension. It said Mr Dodd admitted forging Ms Brady's signature and initials. But he claimed she asked him to sign for her.

His licence remains suspended.