A former Mandurah property manager has been fined after using a tenant's funds to pay for her own rent and bond.
Dianne Sandra Huggins withdrew $2700 from her employers trust fund and redirected the money to cover the bond and outstanding rent on her own rental property.
An internal investigation was then launched following an audit that uncovered the missing money in the trust account.
When confronted, Ms Huggins provided a fake bank receipt which showed her husband had made the payment of $2700 to the agency.
She later admitted to creating the fraudulent document by altering an existing receipt.
The Mandurah-based agency recovered the $2700 from Ms Huggins final salary payment when she resigned.
She was fined $4500 by the State Administrative Tribunal.
Commissioner for Consumer Protection Trish Blake condemned Ms Huggins’ conduct, stating her actions undermined the community’s trust in the real estate industry.
“Knowing full well the unpaid bond would be discovered by the new managing agency, she engaged in a series of deceptive acts, including misappropriating another tenant’s funds and forging a bank receipt,” Ms Blake said.
“Real estate agencies hold substantial sums of money in trust for tenants and property owners, necessitating strict regulatory compliance and routine audits of these accounts.
“Making unauthorised withdrawals from real estate trust funds is a serious offence, and sales representatives or agents who engage in such misconduct will be subject to legal consequences.”
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