The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

The Bahamas Real Estate Association’s (BREA) president yesterday affirmed that there was “no malice” intended when prominent realtor and cleric, Bishop Walter Hanchell, was incorrectly included among a list of unlicensed realtors, telling Tribune Business: “I have no agenda here”.

Speaking with this newspaper yesterday, Carla Sweeting said: “I don’t want the public to think I’m trying to hurt anyone. There was no malice, no intent on our part to have this man’s picture in the paper again.

“We are about encouraging and promoting our members. We’re not about putting them down, but we have to follow the law. I have no agenda here. I’m not trying to hurt anybody.”

Bishop Hanchell, head of PGF Realty, in a statement issued to the media on Wednesday, said he was included among 70 realtors alleged not to have paid their annual licence fees - and therefore now unable to practice as real estate agents/brokers - when he had, in fact, paid the required fee.

Tribune Business had revealed that Bishop Hanchell was on the list in an article on July 17, and that BREA was subsequently forced to apologise to him for the error.

Describing himself as “outraged, disappointed and shocked” that BREA’s Board of Directors would “do such a despicable act to its members”, Bishop Hanchell said in his statement: “I have been a member of BREA for 30 years and have always paid my dues.

“I am appalled at the treatment members are receiving. A simple telephone call, e-mail or a friendly reminder to members would be much better than embarrassing them publicly in the media.

“I have received a written apology from Carla Sweeting, president of BREA. The letter states in part: ‘The Board humbly apologizes for any inconvenience and embarrassment you may have experienced’.

  “For the record, this apology has not been accepted. Too much damage has already been done,” Bishop Hanchell added in his statement. “My attorney has advised me to take immediate legal action against the Bahamas Real Estate Association for what they call ‘an oversight’. I have received calls from well-wishers who find it incredible that something like this could happen. I stand with my fellow realtors, who have been affected by this totally unnecessary and insensitive procedure, and wish them the best in rebuilding their businesses.”

 Ms Sweeting said that although she was not in office at the time the names were published, as president of BREA she took full responsibility for the mistake which she said was a “human error”.