JAMES RAY HALL JR (FAYETTEVILLE) – By Consent, the Commission suspended the broker license of Hall for a period of 12 months, effective February 1, 2024. The Commission then stayed the suspension in its entirety upon certain conditions. The Commission found that Hall, acting as a co-listing agent, paid for renovations and additions to a listed property and advertised it as connected to city sewer. Following closing, the buyer learned that the property was not connected to city sewer. Hall failed to verify that a permit was obtained for the renovations and additions to the property and failed to disclose the lack of permits to the buyer.
WILLIAM M. LITTLE (FAYETTEVILLE) – By Consent, the Commission suspended the broker license of Little for a period of 12 months, effective February 1, 2024. The Commission then stayed the suspension in its entirety upon certain conditions. The Commission found that Little, acting as broker-in-charge, failed to maintain required property management records, had an overage in the security deposit account, and failed to timely provide documentation upon request by the Commission.
LITTLE & YOUNG, INC. (FAYETTEVILLE) – By Consent, the Commission suspended the firm license for a period of 12 months, effective February 1, 2024. The Commission then stayed the suspension in its entirety upon certain conditions. The Commission found that the firm failed to maintain proper property management records, had an overage in the security deposit account, and failed to timely provide documentation regarding HOA management upon request by the Commission.
BRYCE HOWARD SMITH (CHARLOTTE) – By Consent, the Commission suspended the broker license of Smith for a period of 2 months, effective March 1, 2024. The Commission found that Smith, acting as Qualifying Broker of Charlotte Homes & Rentals, LLC, allowed the continuation of brokerage services from July 1, 2022 to May 2, 2023, without an active and designated Broker-in-Charge.
CHARLOTTE HOMES & RENTALS LLC (CHARLOTTE) – By Consent, the Commission suspended the firm license for a period of 5 years, effective March 1, 2024. The Commission found that the firm continued to operate and conduct brokerage services throughout a 10-month period from July 1, 2022 to May 2, 2023, without an active broker-in-charge.
STEVEN ROBERT SPENCER (WAKE FOREST) – By Consent, the Commission suspended the broker license of Spencer for a period of 24 months, effective March 1, 2024. The Commission then stayed the suspension in its entirety upon certain conditions. The Commission found that Spencer, acting as broker-in-charge, failed to respond to Letters of Inquiry in a timely manner and failed to adequately ensure proper advertising. Spencer oversaw a transaction in which the property was advertised as containing 3 bedrooms despite the septic permit only allowing for 2 bedrooms.
MOISES C. MIRANDA (GASTONIA) – By consent, the Commission suspended the broker license of Miranda for a period of 12 months, effective March 15, 2024. The Commission then stayed the suspension in its entirety upon certain conditions. The Commission found that Miranda listed a home that went under contract and the home inspection uncovered various issues. Following the termination of that transaction, Miranda relisted the property but failed to disclose the material facts learned during the first transaction.
MARGARET A. SOPHIE (CARY) – By Consent, the Commission reprimanded Sophie, effective March 20, 2024. The Commission found that Sophie failed to inquire further about certain disclosures by her seller-client on the RPOADS form, leading to her failure to discover and disclose material facts about the road maintenance of the subject property. Consequently, the buyer discovered after closing that they have responsibility for repairs, a fact that was well-known by all owners on the road, including the seller.
TRAVIS REYNOLDS HUDSON (RALEIGH) – By Consent, the Commission reprimanded Hudson, effective March 20, 2024. The Commission found that Hudson, acting as buyer’s agent, failed to advise his buyer-client on the relevance of certain responses on an RPOADS private street disclosure question and otherwise failed to discover and disclose the buyer’s responsibility for road maintenance of the subject property prior to closing.
AUTUMNE VAUGHAN BENNETT (CARY) – By Consent, the Commission reprimanded Bennett, effective March 20, 2024. The Commission found that Bennett, acting as broker-in-charge for a listing agent, failed to adequately supervise her broker-affiliate regarding material fact disclosure of road maintenance responsibilities of the subject property. Consequently, the listing agent failed to discover and disclose material information related to a seller-client’s responses on the RPOADS form and the buyer discovered after closing that they are responsible for repairs, a fact that was well-known by all owners on the road, including the seller.
CLIO MADELEINE CARROLL (ABERDEEN) – By Consent, the Commission suspended the broker license of Carroll for a period of 6 months, effective March 20, 2024. The Commission then stayed the suspension in its entirety upon certain conditions. The Commission found that Carroll was the listing agent for a transaction in which a buyer’s agent submitted an offer on behalf of their buyer-clients that included an escalation clause. Carroll communicated to the buyer’s agent that another offer had been received and delivered a copy of the other offer to the buyer’s agent without first receiving permission from the other buyer. Carroll acknowledged her failure to obtain permission before disclosing the other offer.
MARK EZIO CARLTON (WILMINGTON) – By Consent, the Commission suspended the broker license of Carlton for a period of 12 months, effective March 15, 2024. The Commission then stayed the suspension in its entirety and placed Carlton on probation through March 15, 2025, upon certain conditions. The Commission found that Carlton failed to notice and disclose to his buyer client that there was a discrepancy in which a septic system was noted on the RPOADS form but the property was advertised as having city sewer in the MLS. The discrepancy was later discovered by a broker affiliated with Carlton’s firm who advised the buyer to have a septic inspection completed prior to completion of the closing. Carlton paid for the inspection, after which the buyer closed the transaction.
TRITORI REALTY GROUP INC. (RALEIGH) – By Consent, the Tritori Realty Group voluntarily surrendered its firm license with no right to reapply for a period of two (2) years, effective March 13, 2024. Tritori Realty Group Inc. neither admitted nor denied misconduct.
SCOTT O. MCDONALD (WEAVERVILLE) – By Consent, McDonald voluntarily surrendered his broker license with no right to reapply for a period of two (2) years, effective March 13, 2024. McDonald neither admitted nor denied misconduct.