If you have ever been a victim of a Real Estate Agent or Broker - who failed in their duty to properly represent you - and you were harmed financially and emotionally - as a result - YOU WILL FIND YOURSELF VICTIMIZED TWICE.
Once by the Real Estate Agency and Twice, when you file a complaint with the Maine Real Estate Commission.
This happened to us.
Unless your agent mis-used your earnest money or committed sort of conflict of interest - and you had a notarized statement from the offending agent - DO NOT BOTHER TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE MAINE REAL ESTATE COMMISSION.
You will find yourself fustrated because the Commission is generally, NOT on the side of the citizen. Your complaint will take 9 or so months - then be minimized and distorted by the investigator, Bruce Osborne, and be DISMISSED OUT OF HAND.
Here is what happened to us:
My husband and are are senior citizens on fixed income. We lived in another state for 10 years. We decided to move to the Bangor, Maine area. We did not know much about the area and truly needed a Certified Relocation Specialist.
We made the mistake of calling a Bangor, ME Real Estate Office because we saw a few homes on the internet. We should have been assigned to a CRS, but were assigned to an agent who failed to protect our interests. This agent also failed to inform us of negative things she knew about the location (Dover Foxcroft) and the home itself. She did not give us the information we needed to make an informed decision. She failed to do a CMS of the home and its location. Also, she allowed the sellers to leave the home in dirty and damaged condition.
Her broker would not help us - and protected the offending agent.
We had to sell the home at a large loss, since the agent allowed us to pay too much for it, without properly informing us of market conditions in the area.
In short, we put our trust in that agent, and got the short end of the stick - so to speak.
Unable to afford an attorney, we filed a complaint with the Maine Real Estate Commission in July, 2017. We sent the lengthly complaint to the Director, Karen Bivins. We did call Ms. Bivins, a short time later, to see if the complaint was received. Ms. Bivins seemed "annoyed" that we called her and was very curt towards us, saying it was sent to Mr. Jeffrey Hill - the Assistant Director.
Thus began our communications with Mr. Jeffrey Hill. We were very through and factual. We were cooperative, with the Commission, providing all they asked for and much more.
The complaint was responded to, by the agent and her broker. We rebutted their response.
We kept in touch with Mr. Hill - from time to time - to see where the complaint was in the process.
Our case was assigned to one of the most biased investigators one can ever encounter - Mr. Bruce Osborne.
Mr. Osborne came to our home in early February, 2018. He failed to shake our hands. He offered no empaty for the terrible financial loss, emotional and physical pain we suffered from the negligence of the real estate agent.
He failed to look at the Whole Picture. Failed to consider our story. He was only interested in getting us to concur with the statements made by the real estate agent and her broker.
He accused me of not answering his questions the way HE wanted them answered. He took our evidence and cast it aside like it was NOTHING. He even threatened to Leave Our Home, if we did not respond they way he wanted us to.
Mr. Osborne's Sole Goal - was to find a way to DISMISS OUR COMPLAINT - by trying to TRIP US UP.
When that failed, he wrote up some notes saying that we said things, which we never said.
I did tell him that I felt like I was on a witness stand and he was the attorney for the Real Estate Agency. He did admit that he was once a New York lawyer.
After he left, we knew that the Maine Real Estate Commission would NOT find in our favor.
We did report this to Mr. Jeffrey Hill and backed this up in writing.
In April, 2018, I called Mr. Hill to ask for an update to our case. Mr. Hill said he did NOT hear anything.
On May 1, 2018, I called Mr. Hill again to get an update and to ask 2 Questions - which are:
In the year, 2016, how many complaints did the Commission receive. How many concluded. Of the number concluded, how many were found in favor of the citizen making the complaint. How many were found in favor of the Real Estate Agency?
Same question for the year, 2017.
I did not get a return call. I called back again May 3rd. No return call. We NEVER got an answer to the 2 questions.
On Saturday, May 5, 2018, I get a LETTER OF DISMISSAL OF OUR COMPLAINT, authored by Mr. Bruce Osborne himself and APPROVED by the Committee.
Here is the kicker here: This Dismissal was written up by Mr. Bruce Osborne on March 21, 2018. We just get it on May 5, 2018. This is proof that Mr. Hill knew about this dismissal and failed to tell us. Also this explains why he failed to return our phone calls.
We are in the process of taking this matter further, and pray that the Commissioner of the State of Maine and the Honorable Govenor, Paul LaPage of Maine, will help us in this matter.
We feel our complaint was mis-handled, minimized, distorted and wrongly dismissed. We also feel we were treated with Malice and Extreme Prejudice by the Maine Real Estate Commision and the investigator.
Because our complaint was wrongly dismissed, we suffered the following:
1.) The real estate agent, her broker and agency got away with their negligence towards us.
2.) Two lawyers, who might have taken our case on contingency if the Maine Real Estate Commission had found in our favor - now will NOT help us. We lost our credibility with these lawyers.
3.) The claim we made with the insurance of the Agency, will now - most likely - be denied as not having merit. We now stand practically no chance of succeeding with our claim with the company's insurance agency.
Thus, we May suffer the further pain of not getting any financial compensation for our losses and pain.
All this, because the Maine Real Estate Commission - a Government Agency - whose salaries are paid by the taxpayers of the State of Maine.
If we do get any help or resolution from the higher authorities mentioned, we will add to this report.
Finally, we are writing up, this truthful report, under the Bill of Rights - Free Speech - afforded to all Americans by the United States Supreme Court.
We invite all readers of this report to share any negative experience they might have had - with the Maine Real Estate Commission.
After all, there is Power in Numbers.
Signed,
Two Citizens who are grateful to the Constitution of the United States and to the Wisdom of the Judges in the US Supreme Court.
Maine PFR Reviews
If you have ever been a victim of a Real Estate Agent or Broker - who failed in their duty to properly represent you - and you were harmed financially and emotionally - as a result - YOU WILL FIND YOURSELF VICTIMIZED TWICE.
Once by the Real Estate Agency and Twice, when you file a complaint with the Maine Real Estate Commission.
This happened to us.
Unless your agent mis-used your earnest money or committed sort of conflict of interest - and you had a notarized statement from the offending agent - DO NOT BOTHER TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE MAINE REAL ESTATE COMMISSION.
You will find yourself fustrated because the Commission is generally, NOT on the side of the citizen. Your complaint will take 9 or so months - then be minimized and distorted by the investigator, Bruce Osborne, and be DISMISSED OUT OF HAND.
Here is what happened to us:
My husband and are are senior citizens on fixed income. We lived in another state for 10 years. We decided to move to the Bangor, Maine area. We did not know much about the area and truly needed a Certified Relocation Specialist.
We made the mistake of calling a Bangor, ME Real Estate Office because we saw a few homes on the internet. We should have been assigned to a CRS, but were assigned to an agent who failed to protect our interests. This agent also failed to inform us of negative things she knew about the location (Dover Foxcroft) and the home itself. She did not give us the information we needed to make an informed decision. She failed to do a CMS of the home and its location. Also, she allowed the sellers to leave the home in dirty and damaged condition.
Her broker would not help us - and protected the offending agent.
We had to sell the home at a large loss, since the agent allowed us to pay too much for it, without properly informing us of market conditions in the area.
In short, we put our trust in that agent, and got the short end of the stick - so to speak.
Unable to afford an attorney, we filed a complaint with the Maine Real Estate Commission in July, 2017. We sent the lengthly complaint to the Director, Karen Bivins. We did call Ms. Bivins, a short time later, to see if the complaint was received. Ms. Bivins seemed "annoyed" that we called her and was very curt towards us, saying it was sent to Mr. Jeffrey Hill - the Assistant Director.
Thus began our communications with Mr. Jeffrey Hill. We were very through and factual. We were cooperative, with the Commission, providing all they asked for and much more.
The complaint was responded to, by the agent and her broker. We rebutted their response.
We kept in touch with Mr. Hill - from time to time - to see where the complaint was in the process.
Our case was assigned to one of the most biased investigators one can ever encounter - Mr. Bruce Osborne.
Mr. Osborne came to our home in early February, 2018. He failed to shake our hands. He offered no empaty for the terrible financial loss, emotional and physical pain we suffered from the negligence of the real estate agent.
He failed to look at the Whole Picture. Failed to consider our story. He was only interested in getting us to concur with the statements made by the real estate agent and her broker.
He accused me of not answering his questions the way HE wanted them answered. He took our evidence and cast it aside like it was NOTHING. He even threatened to Leave Our Home, if we did not respond they way he wanted us to.
Mr. Osborne's Sole Goal - was to find a way to DISMISS OUR COMPLAINT - by trying to TRIP US UP.
When that failed, he wrote up some notes saying that we said things, which we never said.
I did tell him that I felt like I was on a witness stand and he was the attorney for the Real Estate Agency. He did admit that he was once a New York lawyer.
After he left, we knew that the Maine Real Estate Commission would NOT find in our favor.
We did report this to Mr. Jeffrey Hill and backed this up in writing.
In April, 2018, I called Mr. Hill to ask for an update to our case. Mr. Hill said he did NOT hear anything.
On May 1, 2018, I called Mr. Hill again to get an update and to ask 2 Questions - which are:
In the year, 2016, how many complaints did the Commission receive. How many concluded. Of the number concluded, how many were found in favor of the citizen making the complaint. How many were found in favor of the Real Estate Agency?
Same question for the year, 2017.
I did not get a return call. I called back again May 3rd. No return call. We NEVER got an answer to the 2 questions.
On Saturday, May 5, 2018, I get a LETTER OF DISMISSAL OF OUR COMPLAINT, authored by Mr. Bruce Osborne himself and APPROVED by the Committee.
Here is the kicker here: This Dismissal was written up by Mr. Bruce Osborne on March 21, 2018. We just get it on May 5, 2018. This is proof that Mr. Hill knew about this dismissal and failed to tell us. Also this explains why he failed to return our phone calls.
We are in the process of taking this matter further, and pray that the Commissioner of the State of Maine and the Honorable Govenor, Paul LaPage of Maine, will help us in this matter.
We feel our complaint was mis-handled, minimized, distorted and wrongly dismissed. We also feel we were treated with Malice and Extreme Prejudice by the Maine Real Estate Commision and the investigator.
Because our complaint was wrongly dismissed, we suffered the following:
1.) The real estate agent, her broker and agency got away with their negligence towards us.
2.) Two lawyers, who might have taken our case on contingency if the Maine Real Estate Commission had found in our favor - now will NOT help us. We lost our credibility with these lawyers.
3.) The claim we made with the insurance of the Agency, will now - most likely - be denied as not having merit. We now stand practically no chance of succeeding with our claim with the company's insurance agency.
Thus, we May suffer the further pain of not getting any financial compensation for our losses and pain.
All this, because the Maine Real Estate Commission - a Government Agency - whose salaries are paid by the taxpayers of the State of Maine.
If we do get any help or resolution from the higher authorities mentioned, we will add to this report.
Finally, we are writing up, this truthful report, under the Bill of Rights - Free Speech - afforded to all Americans by the United States Supreme Court.
We invite all readers of this report to share any negative experience they might have had - with the Maine Real Estate Commission.
After all, there is Power in Numbers.
Signed,
Two Citizens who are grateful to the Constitution of the United States and to the Wisdom of the Judges in the US Supreme Court.