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A Heidelberg Heights agency and its director are once again under scrutiny from Consumer Affairs Victoria, following a 2019 reprimand.
The government body has launched a disciplinary inquiry into Robert Pedersen, the director of MacLeod and Robert Pedersen Real Estate, alleging breaches of Victoria’s estate agent laws.
The 72-year-old director reportedly did not comply with a licence condition imposed by VCAT following disciplinary proceedings back in 2019, which required him and the company to lodge quarterly audits for a specified period, in addition to their existing trust account audit obligations.
At the present time, Consumer Affairs Victoria is also alleging that Mr Pedersen and his agency failed to prepare a statement of information for a residential property they were engaged to sell, failed to act fairly and honestly, and engaged in conduct that was “unprofessional or detrimental to the reputation or interests of the real estate industry”.
Consumer Affairs Victoria noted that such breaches contravene the Estate Agents Act 1980 and the Estate Agents (Professional Conduct) Regulations 2018.
According to the government body, both Mr Pedersen and his agency “are not fit and proper to hold a real estate agent’s licence”.
Back in 2019, Mr Pederson and the agency were reprimanded, ordered to pay a $2,000 penalty, and had a condition placed on their licences for contravention of Victoria’s estate agent laws for not having their trust account audited within the required time, not keeping the required trust account cash receipts journal and trust account cash payments journal, and not completing and keeping a trust account reconciliation statement at the end of each month as required.
According to Consumer Affairs Victoria, those trust account contraventions occurred between 2014 and 2018.
On 10 January 2022, the matter is listed for an administrative mention at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Grace Ormsby
Grace is a journalist across Momentum property and investment brands. Grace joined Momentum Media in 2018, bringing with her a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Communication (Journalism) from the University of Newcastle. She’s passionate about delivering easy to digest information and content relevant to her key audiences and stakeholders.
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