What to do about possible realtor fraud?
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What to do about possible realtor fraud?
My mother-in-law had a home that she needed to sell because she was alone and 84. The real estate agent told her that she needed to open anaccount with his name on it, so when the house closed he would be able to take his portion of the sale out. We were not told about this because the realtor didn’t want her to tell anyone. Is this legal? We had never heard of anyone ever doing this. We don’t know my mother-in-law even received what she had coming. If this is not legal what is the next step for us to take?
Asked on April 12, 2011 under Real Estate Law, California
Answers:
M.T.G., Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 13 years ago | Contributor
No, this does not sound legal by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, it sounds as if there has been a fraud perpetrated on the elderly here and you need to seek legal help as soon as you can. I would consult not only a private attorney but the County Prosecutor's Office (there are often divisions about fraud against the elderly so I would go that route ) as well as the State Attorney General's Office and I would contact the state agency that licenses Realtors in California. I would consider filing a request for an injunction as to the account and attempting to freeze any of his assets and bank accounts. Get moving. Good luck.
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