Agent who sent faeces through mail loses licence

3:50 pm on 27 January 2017

A real estate agent who sent faeces through the mail to his former employer's lawyer has had his licence cancelled.

Grant Tucker

Grant Tucker Photo: SUPPLIED

The Real Estate Agents Authority has also fined Grant Tucker $3500 for each of two complaints against him.

In 2015 Mr Tucker was fined and discharged without conviction in the Auckland District Court over the faeces incident.

The year before, he'd had a falling out with his former employer, Custom Residential, and over the course of 20 months left offensive phone messages and sent similarly couched emails to the company and its lawyer.

He also sent soiled sanitary pads and condoms to his former employer and its lawyer.

Mr Tucker told the Real Estate Agents Authority Disciplinary Tribunal he sent the faecal matter to the lawyer because he had received it in the mail himself, and wanted the lawyer to know "what his clients were like".

The tribunal also accepted that, in June and November 2015, Mr Tucker sent unsigned letters to seven of Custom Residential's clients warning them against using the company.

Custom Residential director John Wills and the company's lawyer, David Beard, both sought legal costs and compensation, including $200,000 each for hurt, humiliation, distress and loss to their reputation.

The tribunal turned down these applications, and said it did not have the jurisdiction to make any order for hurt, humiliation, distress and loss of reputation.

Mr Tucker is appealing the tribunal's decision to the High Court.