The owners of 10 units in a complex in Florida has been duped out of more than R600 000.
According to one of the tenants, Aneesa Fazel the unsuspecting tenants have been paying their levies to the estate agent who manages the building for 10 years until six months ago when they received a notice saying they owe the municipality R640 000. Initially the agent told them not to worry because it is probably a mistake on the municipality’s side. They kept getting notices but were too afraid to query it. Yet their electricity was never cut. Only with hindsight did they realise the agent possibly had a contact within the municipality making sure the electricity is not cut.
The tenants then decided to hire a lawyer and about two weeks ago they managed to gain access to the complex’s bank account and was shocked to find that the agent more than often did not pay their levies to the municipality. They also found the agent had a debit card taken out on the account which was highly irregular and when they scrutinised the account history they found large amounts of money were spent at a well known casino in Krugersdorp.
The lawyers advised them to sign a complaint which was lodged at the Estate Agency Board.
In the meanwhile the agent started avoiding them by not answering their calls and he was never “in the office”.
They opened a case of fraud at Florida Police station.
In the meantime the municipal lawyers also started looking for the agent and informed the tenants they will have to pay. Fazel says they have been sympathetic and lenient though.
On 23 June the suspect was arrested and his case will commence on 21 July.
(The complex can not be identified since the suspect could be identified.)
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