The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

A two-time Bahamas Real Estate Association (BREA) president said yesterday that the Association’s apology to two realtors, who had been inadvertently listed as having not paid their annual license fees, further solidified his stance that the practice should be “done away with”. He told Tribune Business: “If it had happened to me I would have filed a lawsuit”.

Pat Strachan said “the damage has already been done”, and suggested that well-known cleric, Bishop Walter Hanchell, head of PGF Realty, and Nikolai Sawyer, should sue the Association.

The names of both realtors were mistakenly published by BREA last week among a list of almost 70 colleagues alleged to have not paid their annual license fees.

BREA yesterday published an apology to both realtors, advising that due to “an unfortunate oversight” their names had been listed inadvertently, and that both Bishop Hanchell and Mr Sawyer were fully paid-up and in good standing with the Association.

“The Association has now had to buy two sets of ads. Those funds belong to the members. You now have to buy a quarter page ad to apologise for something that never should have happened in the first place,” said Mr Strachan.

“If it had happened to me I would have filed a lawsuit. I think that they should file a lawsuit against BREA. It was an embarrassment. The damage has already been done. An apology does not solve the problem. This should not have happened in the first place. The Act talks about gazetting the names of persons who paid their dues.”

George Smith, a former PLP Cabinet Minister who is a broker and investment advisor with C.A. Christie Real Estate, told Tribune Business he was sending a letter to BREA seeking reinstatement along with a cheque for the outstanding fees.

Mr Smith, who said it was simply an oversight that he had failed to pay his license fees, said he was still offended that BREA had not afforded him the courtesy, having consistently paid his dues for the past 19 years.

‘They should have looked at that and saw this was uncharacteristic,” said Mr Smith.

Brokers are required to pay an annual fee of $400 and a sales agent, $300. Mr Smith said it was unfortunate that Bishop Hanchell had been listed inadvertently.

“Bishop Hanchell does so much good in this community. It’s really not fair to him. An apology does not make up for that. I don’t think any organisation should seek to embarrass its own members,” said Mr Smith.