<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>Housing agents should reveal sellers' loan-shark woes to home buyers
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->LAST Wednesday, barely a month after receiving the keys to my resale HDB flat in Ghim Moh, black paint was splashed on the front door and my unit number was scribbled at the lift lobby. This was the work of loan sharks. Apparently, the previous flat owner was in trouble with them.
I called the police and was assured that the investigating officer would look into the matter, though it might take some time. The HDB was unable to reveal the new address of the previous owner, citing confidentiality.
The seller's agent insisted that she knew nothing about the loan-shark problem. My own agent was helpless and has washed her hands of the matter.
Where are the ethics of housing agents? It seems they are driven only by commissions and will not reveal to home buyers anything that may hurt the closure of sales. Chezlyn Tan (Ms)
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->LAST Wednesday, barely a month after receiving the keys to my resale HDB flat in Ghim Moh, black paint was splashed on the front door and my unit number was scribbled at the lift lobby. This was the work of loan sharks. Apparently, the previous flat owner was in trouble with them.
I called the police and was assured that the investigating officer would look into the matter, though it might take some time. The HDB was unable to reveal the new address of the previous owner, citing confidentiality.
The seller's agent insisted that she knew nothing about the loan-shark problem. My own agent was helpless and has washed her hands of the matter.
Where are the ethics of housing agents? It seems they are driven only by commissions and will not reveal to home buyers anything that may hurt the closure of sales. Chezlyn Tan (Ms)