Nov. 6, 2012 (TORONTO) – An Ottawa broker has been fined $165,000 and her real estate registration
suspended for four months after pleading guilty to six counts of attempting to obstruct a Real Estate Council of
Ontario (RECO) inspector during a 2011 investigation.

The Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) began an investigation into Marnie Bennett regarding allegations that
she hired non‐registered individuals to trade in real estate and improperly paid registered real estate
professionals. Under the Real Estate and Business Brokers Act, 2002 (REBBA) anyone trading in real estate in
Ontario must be registered with RECO and only a brokerage is allowed to pay salespersons and brokers.
Court was told that between September and November 2011, Bennett attempted to obstruct RECO’s
investigation by counseling an employee to make false statements to the inspector and attempting to provide
documents that mischaracterize the nature of payments to salespeople working on her team as loans rather
than commissions. Bennett registered her plea in Ottawa’s Provincial Offences Court on Friday, November 2,
2012.

An additional $41,250 victim surcharge fee levied by the court brings the total fine to $206,250.