Melbourne real estate agent jailed for deception against nursing home resident
A Melbourne real estate agent has been jailed for two years for obtaining a property by deception, after buying a nursing home resident’s house for $150,000 when he knew it was worth double the price.
John Michael Talia, 53, bought the East Burwood house in July 2002, through a company he owned with his wife.
Judge Michael Bourke said that Antonino Carbone, aged in his 80s, had needed money from the sale of his house to meet a debt and pay for his care.
Talia, who at the time ran the Ray White Real Estate franchise in East Doncaster, arranged for an associate to provide a written appraisal of the house as being worth $135,000 to $155,000. The real estate agent then bought it for $150,000.
The deal was only discovered after Mr Carbone died and his solicitor handling probate became suspicious about the real value of the house.
Talia had pleaded not guilty to the deception charge and sold the property and made restitution before being prosecuted, but was found guilty by a County Court jury.
