24 September 2015
A Kalgoorlie real estate agency and its licensee have been reprimanded, fined $8,000 and the agent suspended from holding a licence and triennial certificate for nine months by the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) after making an illegal withdrawal from the agency’s trust account.
18 September 2015
A Mandurah real estate agency and one of its sales representatives have been fined for failing to disclose important information about a property prior to its sale.
LBC Holdings Pty Ltd, trading as Harcourts Mandurah, was fined $3,000 and sales representative Craig John Timmens was fined $1,500 by the State Administrative Tribunal in a settlement of disciplinary action taken by Consumer Protection. The agency and sales representative were ordered to pay costs of $1,000.
8 September 2015
The Consumer Protection Division of the Department of Commerce (Consumer Protection) would like to highlight a Secret Harbour real estate agent’s vigilance in identifying an overseas finance scam affecting two potential buyers attempting to purchase Western Australian properties.
17 August 2015
Settlement agents are required to have their trust accounts for the year 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2015, or part thereof, audited by an auditor approved by the Consumer Protection Division of the Department of Commerce (Consumer Protection).
The auditor must provide the audit report to Consumer Protection by 30 September 2015.
31 August 2015
Amendments to the Residential Tenancies Regulations 1989 (the RT Regulations) have been gazetted in the Government Gazette of 21 August 2015. The changes come into effect on various dates, with further detail on each of the changes being provided below.
Agents should advise the Commissioner for Consumer Protection as soon as practicable, or within five working days, when a trust account is:
7 August 2015
The Department of Commerce (the Department) would like to advise settlement agents of an increase in the information contained within the Property Interest Report (PIR) issued by Landgate.
Typically there are many factors that a buyer considers when purchasing a property. Some of these relate to the future plans or restrictions to a property, which are known as interests and are contained within the PIR.
7 August 2015
The Department of Commerce (the Department) would like to advise agents of additional information contained within the Property Interest Report (PIR) issued by Landgate.
The PIR now provides information for 68 interests, restrictions or responsibilities that are not listed on the Certificate of Title but may affect an owner’s use or enjoyment of land. The number of listed interests will continue to increase over time.
Electronic transactions (eTransactions) allow you to lodge, make changes to and release bonds online. eTransactions are part of BondsOnline and are faster, easier, and more secure than the manual bond form process.
The agency controls the timing of funds being debited from their trust account. This makes it easier for you to comply with the Real Estate and Business Agents Act, regulations, and code of conduct.
Electronic transactions (eTransactions) allow real estate agents and landlords to lodge, make changes to, and release tenancy bonds online without paper forms. eTransactions is available to agents and landlords who use BondsOnline.
eTransactions replaces the need for paper forms.
Keeping your personal and financial information and bond money secure is our top priority. Only authorised departmental staff and your agent or landlord will be able to access your private information.
