SINGAPORE - A property agent who misled a married couple into handing her a $316,000 cheque to demonstrate interest in a Balmoral Road apartment, and failed to disclose she was the owner, has lost her lawsuit to claim the money.
The judge said Ms Ong had misled Ms Tran into thinking that she and her husband were complying with a normal process for the sale and purchase of a property in which the cheque was only"for show".The dispute between her and the couple, who are Singapore permanent residents, arose on Oct 6, 2017, when Ms Tran responded to Ms Ong's advertisement for the sale of the flat. The couple viewed the flat the next day.
On the other hand, the couple said Ms Ong told them to issue a cheque"for show" only and assured them that she would not hand it to the owner. It was only after Mr Bernardo filed a complaint with the Council of Estate Agents on Oct 8, 2017, that the couple discovered Ms Ong was the owner, and cancelled the cheque.
As for Ms Ong, the judge said her failure to disclose her ownership of the property was a contravention of ethical guidelines.