A real estate agent in Canada has been slapped with a hefty fine of 20,000 Canadian dollars (equivalent to $15,087) by the British Columbia Financial Services Authority after a bizarre incident caught on a home surveillance camera last year.
The agent in question, Mike Rose, was waiting to show a house in Kamloops, British Columbia, to potential buyers in July when the homeowner, Lyska Fullerton, left the property. However, instead of conducting a professional home tour, the surveillance footage revealed Rose engaging in unacceptable conduct.
To the homeowner’s shock, Fullerton discovered the footage showing Rose walking into her kitchen, taking a carton of milk out of her fridge, and drinking directly from it. To make matters worse, he then nonchalantly put the same milk container back in the fridge, potentially contaminating it for the unsuspecting residents.
The incident was particularly distressing for Fullerton, as it occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic when health and hygiene were of utmost importance. She had already lost close family members to the pandemic, making the violation of her home and personal space even more unsettling.
According to the homeowner, the surveillance footage also caught Rose lounging on her couch and accidentally breaking one of its arms during his unauthorized stay in the house.
The Washington Post reported that upon confronting Rose two days after the incident, Fullerton found him dismissive of the matter, only asking in a seemingly calm manner, “The milk?” This attitude further fueled her decision to report the agent to the authorities.
After reviewing the evidence, the British Columbia Financial Services Authority responded to Fullerton’s complaint and deemed Rose’s actions “unbecoming” and detrimental to the reputation of the real estate industry.
In his defence, Rose claimed that he was unusually dehydrated at the time due to new medication and stress. However, his explanation did not absolve him of the unprofessional behaviour caught on camera.
This is one such incident where having a hidden camera can be a good thing. Unfortunately, people are also finding them in holiday rentals where they are being filmed without their knowledge or permission.
[Via Insider]
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