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Staff Reporter
A real estate agent has been fined over $20,000 for not holding a valid licence and failing to pass rent money on to landlords.
Mike Damcevski, who operated a business in Oatley NSW while unlicensed, has been ordered to pay $2,833 in fines and costs, $10,800 in consumer compensation and $7,217 to the Property Services Compensation Fund by Parramatta Local Court.
Mr Damcevski, held a real estate agent’s licence from April 2003 to April 2006 and from November 2006 to November 2007.
NSW Fair Trading Commissioner Rod Stowe said Fair Trading investigated Mike Damcevski’s conduct after becoming aware through a consumer complaint that he was carrying on the business of a real estate agent without holding a real estate agent’s licence.
Mr Stowe said Fair Trading’s investigation found Mike Damcevski had undertaken unlicensed activities including the managing of rental properties, collection of rent money and the receipt of commissions in relation to that money.
Mike Damcevski failed to attend a voluntary interview with Fair Trading investigators to respond to the allegations against him.
He also failed to account for rent collected on behalf of two property owners. The properties were managed and the rent was collected by Mr Damcevski, but he did not remit the net rent collected to the property owners, and consequently they suffered financial losses.
One owner made a claim on the Property Services Compensation Fund of NSW, and the claim of $7,217 was paid by the fund.
The second owner has been awarded compensation by the Court, which ordered Mike Damcevski to reimburse the property owner $10,800.
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