"A FREE LANCE"

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 82, 3 October 1929, Page 20

"A FREE LANCE"

BREACH OF. LAND- AGENTS ACT

Reserved judgment Was delivered by rV;.; E;.,\ ?aee ) /';BAl;v; in the Magistrate' - -Court-' yesterday -on proceedings ■■'* '-taken', by 4 nc . pol . ■ice' last •-".August against Murrie Spiers, who was charged with, not being the -holder of 'a"licence' under tho Land Agents Act having held himself ouk.-as--a--]and agent, ot ; - alternatively, nof"being'the Folder~6lTa'licence"'with having carried on business as a laud agent. The charges were defended: on behalf of Spiers by Mr. Ongley.In his judgment tho Magistrate said tho evidence showed that the defendant, who had been acting as a kinU or sub-agent for a firm of land agents in Wellington^ ■commenced on 19th" April to act for another firm, described as licensed ■ land-agentsid'hd financial advisers. It was shown that from u?-'t° '}&?, in" - defendant published ma daily'paper "details of a number of properties.. .for' sale. Ifo name of any land agent was mentioned in the advertisements, but-a telephone number (tho number of the telephone at tho defendant's residence) was given, anjl some sales■were: effected by the defendaht'-uiider. th'o, arrangements■ "hT,;— ? «VaS admiUndi-that tlie- question of tho defendant's, operations amounted to' the carrying on of-a-busi-ness and that .the- defendant himsnlf held no-liceuco, bufit had bben.urged that.ho was merely the servant or employee of tho firm referred to, R rA as livM the P'pteetioA of the licence held by tho firm Mr. Pago said that in his opinion tho deiendant was not a servant or cm" ployee of tho firm of land agents under tho lr guidance or control, and he was under no obligation to do anrVY r ° o rk f. or them. Ho merely obtained from them details of properties and to .SW aS- a lanA agent *° to sell them m such a way and at such: times as he thought fit. He was of opinion that during the day 8 mentioned in the charges the defendant carried h:mrro 8co?4S dagentandthat costs 9 defenaant was fined *5 and