By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

An ex-Bahamas Real Estate Association (BREA) president yesterday urged it to be “more accommodating and sensitive”, and focus on growing its membership rather than “pushing people away”.

William Wong told Tribune Business he had “caught some heat” from Real Estate Board members over his support for ex-Cabinet Minister, George Smith, in the legal battle over BREA’s decision to publish his name among 70 realtors who had failed to pay their due licence fees.

Mr Wong suggested it was “a bit low” for BREA to have published such a list, arguing that it should instead just produce a register of all licensed realtors.

Disclosing that he could not recall publishing a ‘defaulters’ list during his time as BREA president, Mr Wong called on the Association to account for the ‘tough economic times’ in its dealings with persons who were late in paying due licence fees.

The former BREA president added that by publishing the ‘non-payers’ list, the Association was “adding insult to injury” for the 70 persons who were included on it.

Mr Wong, who swore an affidavit to support Mr Smith in the latter’s successful Supreme Court action, told Tribune Business: “In these trying economic times, I didn’t see why BREA had to publish a list saying ‘Joe Blow’ is no longer licenses to perform real estate. I thought that was a bit low.”

Mr Wong argued that it was only necessary for BREA to publish an annual list of licensed realtors. Members of the Association, and the Bahamian public, would be able to “make their own deductions” if certain names were not included.

“I thought BREA should be trying to enhance and maintain its membership, rather than being aggressive and pushing people away,” the ex-BREA president told this newspaper.

“I understand that dues have to be paid, and members need to pay, but these are difficult times for a lot of people, and finding $300 is not as easy as it was a few years ago.

“These are tough times, and members have to find money to pay their light bills, school fees and put food on the table, as well as their licence fees. Guess which ones are not going to be paid. BREA needs to be more sensitive to that.”

A real estate broker’s license from BREA costs $400 annually, and a salesman’s license some $300. Those who failed to pay these fees on time needed to pay an extra $150, and apply for re-registration.

Mr Wong admitted that his support for Mr Smith resulted in him receiving “some flak from Board members, wondering why I went against them.

“I said: ‘I did what I thought was right’,” he added. “George Smith was one of the founding members of BREA, and helped to get the legislation passed.

“It’s not that BREA needs the money, and they could be more sensitive to the economy. People are up to their arms in alligators.

“Just publish the one list and let the public decide. Why have you got to add insult to injury?”

Mr Smith enjoyed the backing of not just Mr Wong but Patrick Strachan, thus ensuring his case was supported by two ex-BREA presidents, one of whom had held the post twice.

Tribune Business previously revealed the former Cabinet Minister’s victory at the Supreme Court, which last week also refused BREA leave to appeal that verdict or to stay its impact.

Justice Deborah Fraser, in her substantive decision, found in favour of Mr Smith’s argument that BREA had violated section 35 of the Real Estate (Brokers and Salesmen) Act 1995.

This requires the Real Estate Board to give a hearing to all applications made to it under that law.

BREA’s president, Carla Sweeting, said the Board felt Mr Smith never applied for such a hearing in his July 21 letter to them – a position the judge disagreed with.

BREA’s argument was that the relevant part of the Act for Mr Smith’s case was section 21, which sets out how any persons removed from the list of registered, licensed realtors can apply for re-registration.

Tribune Business previously revealed the controversy caused by BREA’s decision to publish, in July 2014, a listing of all realtors allegedly not in good standing on their licence fees.

Others included on the list were now-FNM chairman Michael Pintard, who chalked his delinquency up to an oversight on his part.

Another problem, though, was caused by the inclusion of realtors who were actually in good standing, including Bishop Walter S Hanchell, president and chief executive at PGF Real Estate. He was among those mistakenly named as being delinquent on their licence fees.