Petitioner: DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL REGULATION, FLORIDA REAL ESTATE COMMISSION
Respondent: CINDIA FENTON
Judges: F. SCOTT BOYD
Agency: Department of Business and Professional Regulation
Locations: Lauderdale Lakes, Florida
Filed: Jan. 07, 2019
Status: Closed
Settled and/or Dismissed prior to entry of RO/FO on Tuesday, February 19, 2019.
Latest Update: Nov. 05, 2024
STATE OF FLORIDA
FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS
AND PROFESSIONAL REGULATION,
Petitioner,
Vv. Case No. 2016-002907
CINDIA FENTON,
Respondent.
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ADMINISTRATIVE COMPLAINT
The Department of Business and Professional Regulation (“Petitioner”) files this
Administrative Complaint before the Florida Real Estate Commission against Cindia
Fenton (“Respondent”), and alleges:
its Petitioner is the state agency charged with regulating the practice of real
estate pursuant to Section 20.165, Florida Statutes, and Chapters 120, 455, and 475, of
the Florida Statutes.
2. At all times material to this Complaint, Respondent was licensed as a real
estate sales associate in the State of Florida, having been issued license number SL
3088630.
3. At all times material to this complaint, Respondent was a registered sales
associate employed at Concierge Realty Brokers LLC (“Brokerage”), a licensed Florida
brokerage having been issued license number CQ 1039608.
4, Respondent’s address of record is 1678 Victoria Pointe Circle, Weston, FL
33327.
5. At all times material to this complaint, Respondent was the President of
Fenton Morris Agency (“Fenton”), a Florida Corporation.
6. At no time material to this complaint was Fenton duly licensed to engage
in the practice of real estate in the State of Florida.
uP On or about December 20, 2014, Respondent, through Fenton, facilitated a
Sale and Purchase Agreement (“Agreement”) between Laura Sayegh (“Seller”) and
Queen Diwura Real Estate Investment Firm, LLC (“Buyer”) for real property located at
2215 Woodlands Way, Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442 (“Subject Property”).
8. The terms of the Agreement state that an initial deposit of $5,000 was to
be delivered to the escrow agent, Title Supreme.
9. The terms of the Agreement state that an additional deposit of $10,000
was to be delivered to the escrow agent within 14 days after acceptance.
10. Onor around December 10, 2014 through on or around January 3, 2015,
Respondent received one or more of the following checks from Buyer made payable to
Fenton:
a. Check 1002 for $5,000.00;
b. Check 1003 for $10,000.00; and
c. Check 2003 for $3,000.00.
11. The transaction failed to close.
12. Onor about December 5, 2015, Buyer demanded Respondent return her
escrow deposit.
13, To date, Respondent has not returned Buyer’s deposit.
OUNT ONE
14. Petitioner re-alleges and incorporates by reference the allegations set forth
in paragraphs one (1) through thirteen (13), as though fully set forth herein.
15. Section 475.25(1)(e), Florida Statutes (2014), subjects a licensee to
discipline for violating any lawful order or rule made or issued under the provisions of
Chapter 475 or Chapter 455, Florida Statutes.
16. Section 455.227(1)(j), Florida Statutes (2014), subjects a licensee to
discipline for “[a]iding, assisting, procuring, employing, or advising any unlicensed
person or entity to practice a profession contrary to this chapter, the chapter regulating
the profession, or the rules of the department or the board.”
17. Section 475.01(1)(a), Florida Statutes (2014), states in pertinent part the
following:
“Broker” means a person who, for another, and for a compensation or
valuable consideration directly or indirectly paid or promised, expressly or
impliedly, or with an intent to collect or receive a compensation or valuable
consideration therefor, appraises, auctions, sells, exchanges, buys, rents, or offers,
attempts or agrees to appraise, auction, or negotiate the sale, exchange, purchase,
or rental of business enterprises or business opportunities or any real property or
any interest in or concerning the same, including mineral rights or leases, or who
advertises or holds out to the public by any oral or printed solicitation or
representation that she or he is engaged in the business of appraising, auctioning,
buying, selling, exchanging, leasing, or renting business enterprises or business
opportunities or real property of others or interests therein, including mineral
rights, or who takes any part in the procuring of sellers, purchasers, lessors, or
lessees of business enterprises or business opportunities or the real property of
another, or leases, or interest therein, including mineral rights, or who directs or
assists in the procuring of prospects or in the negotiation or closing of any
transaction which does, or is calculated to, result in a sale, exchange, or leasing
thereof, and who receives, expects, or is promised any compensation or valuable
consideration, directly or indirectly therefor; and all persons who advertise rental
property information or lists.
18. Respondent violated Section 455.227(1)(j), Florida Statutes (2013),
thereby violating Section 475.25(1)(e), Florida Statues (2014), by aiding the unlicensed
company, Fenton Morris Agency in the performance of brokerage activities, as defined in
Section 475,01(a), Florida Statutes.
COUNT TWO
19. Petitioner re-alleges and incorporates by reference the allegations set forth
in paragraphs one (1) through thirteen (13), as though fully set forth herein.
20. Section 475.42(1)(d), Florida Statutes (2014), prohibits a sales associate
from collecting “any money in connection with any real estate brokerage transaction,
whether as a commission, deposit, payment, rental, or otherwise, except in the name of
the employer and with the express consent of the employer.”
21. Respondent violated Section 475.42(1)(d), Florida Statutes (2014), when
she collected deposits and/or commissions for the sale and purchase of property made
payable to Fenton and not in the name of her employer.
COUNT THREE
22. Petitioner re-alleges and incorporates by reference the allegations set forth
in paragraphs one (1) through thirteen (13), as though fully set forth herein.
23. Section 475.25(1)(d)1, Florida Statutes (2014), provides that a licensee
may be subject to discipline if the licensee:
“Has failed to account or deliver to any person, including a
licensee under this chapter, at the time which has been
agreed upon or is required by law or, in the absence of a
fixed time, upon demand of the person entitled to such
accounting and delivery, any personal property such as
money, fund, deposit, check, draft, abstract of title,
mortgage, conveyance, lease, or other document or thing or
value[.]”
24. Based on the foregoing, Respondent has violated Section 475.25(1)(d)1,
Florida Statutes (2014), by failing to account for or deliver Buyer’s escrow deposit upon
demand.
co FOUR
25. Petitioner re-alleges and incorporates by reference the allegations set forth
in paragraphs one (1) through thirteen (13), as though fully set forth herein.
26. Section 475.25(1)(b), Florida Statutes (2014), provides that a licensee may
be subject to discipline if the licensee:
[Committing] fraud, misrepresentation, concealment, false
promises, false pretenses, dishonest dealings by trick,
scheme or devise culpable negligence, or breach of trust in
any business transaction
27. Based on the foregoing, Respondent has violated Section 475.25(1)(b),
Florida Statutes (2014), including but not limited to one or more of the following ways:
a. by facilitating a sale and purchase transaction without being under the
direction, control, or management of a broker,
b. by receiving one or more of the following checks from Buyer made
payable to Fenton and not in the name of her employer:
i. Check 1002 for $5,000;
ii. Check 1003 for $10,000; and
iii, Check 2003 for $3,000.
WHEREFORE, Petitioner respectfully requests the Florida Real Estate
Commission to enter an order imposing one or more of the following penalties:
suspension or permanent revocation of Respondent’s license(s), restriction of practice,
imposition of an administrative fine, issuance of a reprimand, placement of Respondent on
probation, corrective action, assessment of costs related to the investigation and
prosecution of the case, and any other relief that the Commission deems appropriate.
SIGNED this 23 day of May, 2017.
MATILDE MILLER, Interim Secretary
Department of Business and
Professional Regulation
Maureen Y. White
Maureen Y. White
Assistant General Counsel
Florida Bar No. 0106794
Office of the General Counsel
2601 Blairstone Road
Tallahassee, FL 32399
(850) 717-1234 Telephone
(850) 921-9186 Facsimile
PCP Date: May 22, 2017
PCP MEMBERS: Thomas Luzier and Ralph McCoig
Docket for Case No: 19-000125PL
Issue Date |
Proceedings |
Mar. 04, 2019 |
Undeliverable envelope returned from the Post Office.
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Feb. 19, 2019 |
Order Closing File. CASE CLOSED.
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Feb. 11, 2019 |
Motion to Relinquish Jurisdiction filed.
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Jan. 29, 2019 |
Undeliverable envelope returned from the Post Office.
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Jan. 23, 2019 |
Notice of Appearance (Mackenzie Medich) filed.
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Jan. 18, 2019 |
Notice of Court Reporter filed.
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Jan. 16, 2019 |
Order of Pre-hearing Instructions.
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Jan. 16, 2019 |
Notice of Hearing by Video Teleconference (hearing set for March 14, 2019; 9:00 a.m.; Lauderdale Lakes and Tallahassee, FL).
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Jan. 15, 2019 |
Unilateral Response to Initial Order filed.
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Jan. 08, 2019 |
Notice of Service of Petitioner's First Interlocking Discovery Request filed.
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Jan. 08, 2019 |
Initial Order.
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Jan. 07, 2019 |
Amended Administrative Complaint filed.
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Jan. 07, 2019 |
Motion for Leave to Amend Administrative Complaint filed.
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Jan. 07, 2019 |
Administrative Complaint filed.
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Jan. 07, 2019 |
Election of Rights filed.
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Jan. 07, 2019 |
Agency referral filed.
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