A Sunshine Coast real estate agent has been fined $25,000 and banned from the industry for a decade after directing tenants' rent into her own account for six months.
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Elizabeth Provan, director of Dicky Beach Real Estate, was found guilty of wrongfully converting trust money and acting as an unlicensed property agent in Caloundra Magistrates Court.
The charges were brought by the Office of Fair Trading after an investigation was launched in August 2017 following complaints from consumers.
The OFT said in a statement that between January and July last year, Ms Provan converted more than $46,000 of rent money to personal use funds and told tenants to deposit their rent into her own personal bank account instead of the agency's trust.
Ms Provan did not contact any of the agency’s clients, engage with the OFT or appear in court, the fair trading statement read.
In sentencing, the court considered Ms Provan’s breach of trust, lack of remorse, and failure
to cooperate with the OFT investigation. A conviction was recorded.
Comment was sought from Ms Provan.
