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13/02/2007
Estate Agent in court over false claims
A Belfast estate agent has today been given absolute discharge for breaching consumer protection legislation.
Appearing at Belfast Magistrates Court earlier today, Gerard Francis O'Connor, who was trading as Gerry O'Connor Estate Agent in the Stranmillis area of south Belfast, admitted four charges for falsely describing a block of apartments as having ‘covered and secure car parking’ in a brochure advertising new apartments then being built at the Lanyon Manor development in Belfast.
The case reached the court after the Trading Standards Service received complaints from purchasers of the apartments after discovering that the development, which was comprised of 12 apartments, only had 10 car parking spaces only four of which were covered; none were secure and two apartments had no car parking at all.
When the complainants raised the issue of how the car park was to be secured they were told by staff at the estate agency, it was to be secured by gates.
The investigation carried out by Trading Standards Service, established that there had been no application for planning permission to erect gates or any other security measure.
The statement on the brochure was false from its inception. Once the estate agent became aware that it was false he should have taken measures to ensure that perspective purchasers were not misled about the car parking facilities.
The case was brought under the Property Misdescriptions Act 1991.
Gerard Francis O'Connor, pleaded guilty of giving a false statement and could face a fine of up to £20,000.
Any member of the public who thinks they have been misled about property descriptions should contact Consumerline, on 0845 600 6262 or log on to www.consumerline.org
(EF/SP)
Appearing at Belfast Magistrates Court earlier today, Gerard Francis O'Connor, who was trading as Gerry O'Connor Estate Agent in the Stranmillis area of south Belfast, admitted four charges for falsely describing a block of apartments as having ‘covered and secure car parking’ in a brochure advertising new apartments then being built at the Lanyon Manor development in Belfast.
The case reached the court after the Trading Standards Service received complaints from purchasers of the apartments after discovering that the development, which was comprised of 12 apartments, only had 10 car parking spaces only four of which were covered; none were secure and two apartments had no car parking at all.
When the complainants raised the issue of how the car park was to be secured they were told by staff at the estate agency, it was to be secured by gates.
The investigation carried out by Trading Standards Service, established that there had been no application for planning permission to erect gates or any other security measure.
The statement on the brochure was false from its inception. Once the estate agent became aware that it was false he should have taken measures to ensure that perspective purchasers were not misled about the car parking facilities.
The case was brought under the Property Misdescriptions Act 1991.
Gerard Francis O'Connor, pleaded guilty of giving a false statement and could face a fine of up to £20,000.
Any member of the public who thinks they have been misled about property descriptions should contact Consumerline, on 0845 600 6262 or log on to www.consumerline.org
(EF/SP)
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