Kamloops realtor fined $20K for taking swig of milk from seller's fridge
A parched Kamloops realtor has been fined $20,000 for taking a swig of milk from the fridge of a house he was trying to sell.
According to a July 25 BC Financial Services Authority decision, realtor Michele (Mike) Rose took the gulp of milk "directly from a container" and then placed it back in the fridge while showing a couple a property.
The sellers weren't home but caught Rose on surveillance footage taking the drink.
A couple of days later when Rose was back showing the property to the buyers again, the sellers asked him if there was anything he wanted to tell them about his last visit to their home.
Rose replied, "The milk?"
The decision said he then apologized to the sellers for his behaviour.
However, the sellers "appeared upset" and told him they didn't want him in their home.
The sellers then sent their surveillance camera footage to CFJC.
The buyers ditched him as their realtor and Rose got fired by Royal LePage Kamloops Realty.
CFJC published an article and a TV segment about what took place and Rose made a public apology about his conduct.
"I have never done this kind of thing before, nor will I ever behave in this way again," he said in the apology.
He has now signed a consent agreement with the BC Financial Services Authority.
"Mr. Rose acknowledges that his conduct violated the trust granted to him by the sellers to access, view and show the property to prospective buyers and undermined public confidence in the real estate industry," the decision read.
Rose said he was looking for water in the fridge but didn't find any so instead drank the milk.
In the decision, Rose said his behaviour on that summer day was completely out of character.
"His actions were influenced by being unusually dehydrated due to a new medication he consumed earlier that day and dealing with personal issues which had caused him considerable stress at the time," the decision read.
The decision said Rose had been working as a licenced realtor since 1994 and has been an associate broker since 1996.
In 2011, he was fined $1,000 by the regulator for failing to obtain the property authorization from the seller to drop the list price.
For the milk incident, the regulator fined Rose $20,000 and ordered him to pay $2,500 in costs. He has six months to pay.
The decision said a week after Royal LePage Kamloops fired him he got a job with another realtor.
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