Los Angeles herald., 1908-10-04
REALTY BOARD
EXPOSES FRAUD
DOUBTFUL FIRMS POSE AS
MEMBERS
DuPE BUYERS ON STRENGTH OF
BOARDS REPUTATION
Woman Seeks Redress of Organization
After Being Robbed-Draste
Measures Against Practice
Are Contemplated

The campaign Of the Los Angeles
realty board against thieves and takers
In the real estate business has taken
another turn. In order to gain contl-
dence of prospective buyers, firms with
suspicious regulations have, 1t is de-
clared, been posing as members OF the
realty board. The realty board has
rounded up a number Of these suspects
and promises to put q stop to such
MISREPRESENTATION.
Herbert Burdett, secretary of the Los
Los Angeles realty board, in a written
statement in behalf OF the organlza-
ton, says:
ut has recently come to the attention
of the governing committee or Los
Angeles realty board that claims OF
membership in the board are made by
various firms that are not members.
and drastic action is contemplated to
put a stop to these practices.
when it is remembered that great
number of investors, most of whom are
people of small means, to whom the
loss of their investments would be a
very serious matter rely upon the
consideration that membership In the
realty board is a guaranty OF tair
dealing, the question of the harm that
could be done by false claimants to
membership is obvious. Only recently
q woman applied at the office or the
board for redress of grievance In con-
nection with a small property which
she had purchased of a supposedly
reputable firm. She told the secretary
of the board that the man In the office
of this firm who had shown her the
property, and to whom she paid her
deposit, informed her that his firm was
a member of the realty board, Volun-
teerinA this information when she ex-
pressed some doubt as to the fulfill
ment of certain promises that he made.
He told her that such membership
should assure her that the firm would
do what he promised, and she recog-
nized the claim and paid over her
money on the strength of this assur-
ance. The firm in question was for
merly q member of the board, but its
resignation was accepted long time
ago.
Was Never a Member
Another instance, and the most fla
grant one yet discovered, Is that or
firm occupying a newly furnished
ground floor Office, of considerable pre-
tensions, which had actually printed
on it's business card in large type
Members and following 1t. Los An
geles Chamber of Commerce, Realty
Board and another organization. This
firm, or corporation, was never MEM
ber of the realty board. and Its name
uOoS not appSdT III LAiO biob VI AASA%N
bers of the chamber of commerce.
"Quite a number of instances OF IN
significant agents asserting member
ship in the board, and sometimes back
ing up the assertion by exhibition or a
printed copy of the boards schedule
of commissions, have come to the no.
tice of the secretary. In the future all
such cases will be followed by action
that will tend to render these false
pretenses improbable
Meanwhile the board desires to call
the attention of all persons not we'll
acquainted with realty agents with
whom they may have dealings to the
fact that inquiry at the office OF the
board as to the membership of any
particular firm will meet with immedi-
ate attention. Such inquiry should
preferably be made in person, but can
in case Of necessity, be made by call
ing telephone Broadway 1886.
"All members of the board display
certificates of membership, signed by
the president and secretary, framed In
a narrow black moulding, but as two
or three certificates, issued to firms no
longer members, have not been re-
turned to the board, 1t would be well
to confirm the membership by inquiry
in case of any doubt"