The Real Estate Board (REB) is getting tough on persons who break the law with the arrest of four last month and the removal of 18 names from the register of real-estate dealers and real-estate salesmen.

Sandra Watson, REB general manager, told Sunday Business that the board has been in enforcement mode since April, when an investigating officer was engaged to focus on breaches.

“We are turning it on. Enough is enough!” said Watson.

“The board itself has taken the view that we should put down our feet. We have also employed a new officer to just investigate.”

Arrests

The four arrests for not registering with the board included two in Kingston, one in St Catherine and one in Westmoreland.

“We noticed a trend that a number of persons are actually going into real estate, trying to make a quick buck, and we have also noticed a number of them using the Internet to woo persons from abroad,” said the investigating officer.

The officer said that many of these persons set up rental agencies, charging persons to secure property, which often turns out to be open lots.

Investigation

Meanwhile, the board said five more persons were being investigated, potentially leading to more arrests.

In the meantime, Watson said the 18 persons who had been removed from the register would have to go through the process of reapplying.

“For most of them, it is for outstanding fees,” Watson said. “They have to reapply if they want to be reinstated. It will mean getting new application fees, recommendations, getting new bankruptcy and police clearances.”