Two former LJ Hooker Agents Charged over Misappropriating Customers' Money
Tuesday 31 January 2017 @ 11.12 a.m. | Trade & Commerce
Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) has laid charges against two former LJ Hooker real estate agents over conduct at six franchises in Melbourne's south east. Real estate giant LJ Hooker says it is pleased two of its former agents will face court for allegedly misappropriating more than $2 million of customers' money.
Background to the Case
It has been revealed that six LJ Hooker branches run by Truc Thanh Le Nguyen (known as Judy Nguyen) and her husband Tri Duc Ngo (known as Joseph Ngo) were shut down by LJ Hooker Head Office. Ms Truc’s six LJ Hooker franchises in Glen Waverley, Keysborough, Mount Waverley, Burwood, Doncaster and Box Hill were shut down and taken over by CAV in April 2016 after millions of dollars owed to homeowners, landlords and tenants allegedly went missing.
The charges against Ms Truc and Mr Ngo include “wrongful conversion and false accounts”, which carries a maximum penalty per offence of “a term of imprisonment of not more than 10 years” or a $77,730 fine.
Reaction from CAV
CAV announced that it had charged Judy Nguyen with 216 offences and Joseph Ngo with 188 offences for alleged breaches of the Estate Agents Act 1980 (Vic).
The Director of Consumer Affairs has approved 58 claims from customers who lost trust funds totalling more than $2 million. CAV has also approved the payment of 21 claims for rent money, totalling more than $34,000. The couple's franchise was terminated by LJ Hooker when the allegations first emerged in April 2016.
Statement from LJ Hooker
A spokesperson for LJ Hooker said:
"LJ Hooker is pleased that Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) have concluded their investigations and are now able to bring this matter to the courts, giving all those affected some closure. These sorts of occurrences are a blight on the industry, and continued vigilance is of the utmost importance to LJ Hooker and our franchisees."
TimeBase is an independent, privately owned Australian legal publisher specialising in the online delivery of accurate, comprehensive and innovative legislation research tools including LawOne and unique Point-in-Time Products.
Sources:
Two former LJ Hooker agents charged over misappropriating millions of customers' money - abc.net.au
Ex LJ Hooker agents Judy Thanh Truc and Joseph Ngo face jail time over alleged trust fund misuse - heraldsun.com.au
