Realtor suspended after falsifying signature of mother’s dead boyfriend in Richmond condo deal
A realtor has been suspended in a case involving a Richmond condo deal, and a secret love affair.
The affair involved the agent’s mother and the latter’s now deceased boyfriend.
Renee Genieve Doe Wei, also known as Genie Lam, was penalized for offences in the transfer to her mother of the property bought by the man identified only as HL.
Lam also related in a consent order proposal she prepared for the B.C. Financial Services Authority (BCFSA) that she herself likewise “became close to HL”.
The realtor “referred to him as ‘Uncle HXXXXX’”.
Lam admitted that she “falsified the signature” of HL in a September 8, 2016 assignment agreement, which sought to transfer the Richmond condo to her mother, who was identified as CL.
Lam signed in HL’s name after the man died on August 26, 2016.
The document recalls the man’s death in some detail.
“Ms. Lam says he was at CL’s residence and was feeling sick,” the agent’s consent order stated.
The man “refused to go to the hospital because he worried his family would discover the relationship with CL”.
“He laid down for a nap and did not wake up,” the document recalled.
Lam arrived at CL’s residence, and emergency services staff were already there.
“Ms. Lam describes HL’s death as traumatizing to both her and CL, and that she was emotionally distraught at the time due to the circumstances of her arriving at CL’s property and her close relationship with HL,” stated the agent’s consent order, which was accepted by the BCFSA.
Two days before he died, HL on August 24, 2016, “gifted CL a cheque in the amount of $320,000”.
Lam said that the money was “for the purpose of completing the purchase of the Property”.
Also, Lam claimed that she searched for an earlier assignment agreement, but was not able to find it.
The agent stated that both HL and CL executed an April 2016 agreement, but that she “lost” the copy.
“Ms. Lam says she was distraught and concerned with protecting both HL and CL’s desire to keep their relationship secret, and HL’s desire that CL own the Property, and therefore Ms. Lam emailed the Developer to obtain a new assignment agreement which she completed,” the document noted.
Not only did Lam falsify the dead man’s signature.
She also “falsely represented” that she is the dual agent of HL and CL on the September 2016 assignment.
Lam also “falsely represented…that HL was her uncle and CL was her aunt”.
In addition, Lam “falsely represented to the agent for the Developer that HL (then deceased) was out of town, when she knew that HL was deceased”.
Following the man’s death, his estate filed a civil suit against Lam’s mother, CL, in connection with the money received for the Richmond condo purchase.
Lam was later added as a defendant.
The parties settled the case, and the terms are “confidential”.
“The Property remains in CL’s name,” Lam’s consent order stated.
The BCFSA ordered Lam’s licence to be suspended to be suspended for three months starting January 1, 2022.
The agent was also ordered to pay a penalty fee of $7,500, and enforcement expenses of $1,500.
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