Anne Squires blames staff for $510K claimed in AccessEasyFunds lawsuit
Exit Realty on the Rock owner says she didn't make alleged agreements with payday loan-style company
Anne Squires is denying claims that she lied about "fictitious real estate transactions" and has failed to pay more than $510,000 she allegedly owes to a payday loan-style company.
Those claims were made in a civil lawsuit launched by AccessEasyFunds Limited in April.
In court documents filed in August, Squires argues that a staff member at her company, Exit Realty on the Rock, entered into agreements with AccessEasyFunds — not her.
Squires's statement of defence says agreements with AccessEasyFunds were made without her authority, "implied or otherwise" and, therefore, Squires can't be held responsible for them.
AccessEasyFunds advances money to real estate agents for house sales before the deals close. The company charges a fee for the service, and is then supposed to be reimbursed when the commission comes in.
AccessEasyFunds alleges in court documents that Squires created an number of fake real estate transactions "with the explicit intent to defraud the plaintiff."
The lawsuit also names a numbered company — that lists Squires as sole director — as a defendant.
That numbered company guaranteed the amount owing, the court filings allege, then defaulted on the agreement.
Squires denies all of those allegations, which have not been tested in court.
Squires denies knowledge of transactions
According to the statement of claim, the alleged $510,000 owed to AccessEasyFunds relates to 43 transactions made by Squires between Sept. 24, 2015 and Feb. 5, 2016.
In her statement of defence, Squires denies any knowledge of those transactions.
Feb. 5 is the day after Exit Realty on the Rock had its licence suspended by the Newfoundland and Labrador government. The company was forced into receivership shortly afterward. That process is ongoing.
On Feb. 16, the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary executed a search warrant at the real estate company's Kenmount Road head office.
According to a document the police filed in court to get a judge to sign off on the warrant, Squires is under investigation for theft, fraud and breach of trust.
In subsequent court documents filed in May, the police indicated that ongoing criminal probe will continue until the end of the year.