A public register detailing those who are banned from carrying our estate agency work or who have received a formal warning, is now online.
It is on the website of Powys County Council, which operates the National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team – which took over from the Office of Fair Trading in April.
The register can be viewed in both alphabetical and date order, and shows that the last bans or warnings were made back in March, by the OFT.
The register does not distinguish between bans or warnings, however, meaning it is impossible to tell whether – for example – Thomas Francis Kelly was banned or warned on March 27.
In fact, the former Connells agent was banned – with the order confirmed in June by the National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team.
Powys, like the OFT, can ban or warn estate agents in accordance with the Estate Agents Act 1979 – but not letting agents, who are not recognised by the legislation.
Powys is also responsible for approving and monitoring property ombudsman schemes, and gave the go-ahead for the Property Redress Scheme, run by insurance brokers Hamilton Fraser.
http://www.powys.gov.uk/en/licensing-trading-standards/national-estate-agency-standards/
Hi Rosalind,
It certainly appears ludicrous for an individual council to take over responsibility for enforcing compliance with an act of legislation across the UK.
I would imagine that this is temporary and when or if overwhelm happens then the matter will pass to the FCA, by which time the FCA will also have caught up with their Consumer Credit Act matters.
Prohibitions and warnings are clearly shown on the alphabetical list here: http://pstatic.powys.gov.uk/fileadmin/Docs/Licences/Trading_Standards_Doc_s/register_alpha_4_6_14._bi.pdf
Kind Regards,
Phil Martin
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This is good news for the public and the vast majority of us honest and decent agents. However, trading standards still need to do more; there is little point in issuing banning orders against individuals if they are able to continue to work in the industry. Two of the people that appear on the list, the above mentioned Thomas Kelly of Worton Kelly estate agents and Amerjit Singh Dhuga (AKA Bobby Singh) of WLYP, are both still actively running estate agency businesses in the West Midlands despite being banned!
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