Hey Jude, You Were A True Battler For The Battlers

by Tim O’Dwyer M.A., LL.B
Queensland Solicitor & Consumer Advocate
watchdog@argonautlegal.com.au


My friend and colleague Judy Teitzel died shortly before Christmas last year. She was only 45 years of age. Few lawyers would be as outraged on behalf of disadvantaged clients, as solicitor Judy once was, to accuse a government of “gutter tactics”. Even fewer would, as Judy once did, describe a Fair Trading Minister as the minister for “unfair trading”.

No wonder, when the Beattie Government in 2002 retrospectively changed the law to prevent scammed property investors claiming compensation from a statutory fund, this battler for the battlers was vilified under parliamentary privilege by the same minister.

Although, according to the long-gone minister, she had smeared the reputation of the her profession, Brisbane-based Judy Teitzel was respected and well-regarded as an outspoken lawyer of integrity by her colleagues, by the media and by many ordinary folk.

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Beware Of Property Fraudsters

by Tim O’Dwyer M.A., LL.B
Queensland Solicitor & Consumer Advocate
watchdog@argonautlegal.com.au

A while ago Australian Property Investor magazine reported on the fraudulent and illegal practices of "jacked" real estate contracts and secret "rebates" on sale prices. The ABC’s Four Corners programme has also exposed the same scams.

At the very time the API edition was on newsagents’ shelves real estate agent, David Kelly, from Queensland’s Sunshine Coast appeared in the Maroochydore Magistrates court charged with several counts of fraud against the ANZ Bank. A Brisbane finance broker, Linda Moretto of 2K Finance, later faced the Brisbane Magistrates Court on more than 50 similar and related fraud, attempted fraud, uttering and forgery charges.

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Note: For further information about real estate or conveyancing issues visit Lawyers Conveyancing

Skilled Conveyancing Develops New "Skills"

by Peter Mericka B.A., LL.B Real Estate Lawyer and
Qualified Practising Conveyancer
Victoria
Lawyers Real Estate

When Skilled Conveyancing copied material from my website and presented it on its own website, it raised in my mind questions regarding honesty, integrity, trustworthiness, business ethics, and simple common-sense.

I was stunned. A Google search had taken me to the website of Skilled Conveyancing, a conveyancing business operated by Dawn Lockhart in the Melbourne suburb of Wantirna.

Hundreds of pages of the Skilled Conveyancing website contained material written by me. Many hours of my work had been swiped from my website, and was being presented by Skilled Conveyancing as its own!

It seemed that Skilled Conveyancing had developed a new skill, and I wanted to get to the bottom of it.

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Note: For further information about real estate or conveyancing issues visit Lawyers Conveyancing