Sand Key Realty, Inc. of Clearwater Florida Found Guilty of Ethics Violations by the Pinellas Realtor Organization

(Do You Believe That You Have Also Been Treated Unethically By Sand Key Realty, Inc. of Clearwater, Florida?  Definitely see below!)

On July 31, 2014, Sand Key Realty, Inc. of Clearwater Florida was brought before the Ethics Hearing Panel for the Pinellas Realtor Organization. The hearing was in response to allegations that Sand Key Realty had violated the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice of the National Association of Realtors®.

On September 9, 2014, the Board of Directors for the Pinellas Realtor Organization affirmed and made final the full and entire findings of the Ethics Hearing Panel against Sand Key Realty, Inc. and both of the company’s owners, Brian Keith Pelfrey and Jens Cavallius.

As a result of evidence and testimony presented at the hearing, Sand Key Realty was found guilty by the Pinellas Realtor Organization and the company’s two owners, Brian Keith Pelfrey and Jens Cavallius, were individually held responsible and fined for illegitimate and retaliatory eviction threats, violation of their fiduciary responsibility to a client and their refusal to recognize and abide by a valid addendum to a client’s lease.

In addition to both of them being individually fined for these multiple violations, both Brian Keith Pelfrey and Jens Cavallius were also required to personally attend a Code of Ethics training class.

The ruling also provided for the following: ” If the respondent is found in violation of the Code of Ethics a second time within three (3) years, the respondent’s name, the fact that the respondent has been found in violation of the Code of Ethics, the Article(s) violated, and the discipline imposed will be published in the official communication vehicle of the Board.”

A copy of the ruling by the Pinellas Realtor Organization can be viewed by clicking on the below image.

We view this ruling as complete vindication of all pertinent points of our complaints against Sand Key Realty, Inc. and both of the company’s owners, Brian Keith Pelfrey and Jens Cavallius.

As a consequence of this ruling, we have recently resubmitted our complaint to the Division of Real Estate for the State of Florida in the hopes that they will initiate an immediate investigation against Sand Key Realty, Inc. and both of the company’s owners, Brian Keith Pelfrey and Jens Cavallius.

As a result of my personal opinion, experiences and intuition on this matter, I am wondering if there might be others out there who believe that they might have also been treated unethically by Sand Key Realty?

Of course, I realize that I might very well be the only person ever in the last three years who was treated unethically by Sand Key Realty and its two owners. If so, then my personal intuition about this company and its two owners is completely and totally wrong.

Note: This quest has just started. Right now, I have absolutely zero proof that anyone else has ever had a problem with any kinds of unethical dealings whatsoever with this company and its two owners. Zero, nada, zip.

Hence the reason for this quest to see if, by chance, there might possibly be others who feel they might have also been victimized.

So, please bear that in mind as you read my comments about my personal experiences that I’m just asking if I am alone when it comes to my problems that I had with this company.

Do YOU Believe You Have Also Been Treated Unethically By Sand Key Realty, Inc. of Clearwater, Florida?

If, by chance, there’s possibly another person in the world that’s maybe had a problem with this company, and you have a genuine, legitimate complaint against Sand Key Realty and/or its two owners for their real estate dealings, you might consider helping others who may come after you so they do not also end up having the same problems and issues.

You can do this by filing complaints with the Pinellas Realtor Organization, the State of Florida Division of Real Estate and the Better Business Bureau.

Most folks don’t seem to know that this is the proper avenue for pursuing grievances against ANY Florida real estate company.

That’s one of the real purposes of this webpage: To give folks the information they need to pursue a valid complaint against any Florida real estate company that they believe has acted unethically or illegally with regard to their purchase, sale, or leasing of Florida real estate in the Clearwater area.

Instead of you having to waste your time searching out links, e-mail addresses and phone numbers in order to file a complaint, I’ve included all of that information along with downloadable forms to make your process very quick and easy.

Below you will find a step-by-step checklist that you can follow to file “no cost” complaints with the Better Business Bureau, the Florida Division of Real Estate and the Pinellas Realtor Organization.

 Also, as we showed above, the ruling against Sand Key Realty, Inc. and both of the company’s owners, Brian Keith Pelfrey and Jens Cavallius also provided for the following: “If the respondent is found in violation of the Code of Ethics a second time within three (3) years, the respondent’s name, the fact that the respondent has been found in violation of the Code of Ethics, the Article(s) violated, and the discipline imposed will be published in the official communication vehicle of the Board.”

We are wondering if, with your help, we may possibly find that perhaps one other person for a “second time” (or more) instance, if it possibly exists, of their unethical behavior.

If there are, by some wild chance, enough other consumer complaints, it may be that the Board of Realtors might take decisive and permanent action by revoking the membership of Sand Key Realty, Inc. and both of the company’s owners, Brian Keith Pelfrey and Jens Cavallius and the State of Florida might, just maybe, possibly revoke their individual real estate licenses.

Of course, if we are the only people who have been treated unethically by Sand Key Realty, Inc. and both of the company’s owners, Brian Keith Pelfrey and Jens Cavallius, then of course, my strong intuition is completely and totally wrong and none of the above consequences would ever happen.

I greatly appreciate any support on this matter but, please, only submit a complaint if you have a legitimate and provable case against Sand Key Realty and/or its two owners.

Bear in mind that you will not see you any recompense from any of the following organizations or complaint processes. That part would probably require a lawsuit.

(In light of our favorable rulings by the Pinellas Realtor Organization, we are strongly considering pursuing a lawsuit against Sand Key Realty, Inc. and both of the company’s owners, Brian Keith Pelfrey and Jens Cavallius for what we allege are their violations of multiple Florida statutes with regard to our own direct experience. Stay tuned for developments in this area!)

How to File Complaints With These Three Organizations

For Pinellas Realtor Organization:  Complaint Steps

Here is the one-page complaint form for filing with the Pinellas Realtor Organization. Just click One Page Form.

You need to make sure that your attached document to the complaint form has every possible detail since you may not be able to add more information to this later.

In my case, my original complaint was rejected. However, the great news is that the Pinellas Realtor Organization offers a one page appeal process that is very easy and, again in my case, I was successful at having their Ethics Committee review my case and find most every aspect of my complaint valid, justifiable and actionable against Sand Key Realty and its two owners. Of course, your mileage may vary.

Here are some general principles to keep in mind when filing an ethics complaint:

• Ethics complaints must be filed within one hundred eighty (180) days from the time a complainant knew (or reasonably should have known) that potentially unethical conduct took place.
• Your complaint should include a typewritten narrative description of the circumstances that lead you to believe the Code of Ethics may have been violated.
• Form E-1 should be completed and attached to the narrative along with any supporting documents. Click here for suggested documents.
• Your complaint must cite one or more of the Articles of the Code of Ethics (Click here to view in English or here to view in other languages) which may have been violated. Hearing panels decide whether the Articles expressly cited in complaints were violated – not whether Standards of Practice or case interpretations were violated.

My personal opinion is that the Ethics Hearing Panel does an outstanding job in the way they very fairly handle these kinds of complaints. In my case, I was able to attend the hearing in participate by telephone so your physical presence in Clearwater Florida is not required.

As the above document shows, the Ethics Hearing Panel and now the full Board of Directors of  the Pinellas Realtor Organization, ruled that Sand Key Realty, Inc. and both of the company’s owners, Brian Keith Pelfrey and Jens Cavallius were guilty of violating the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice of the National Association of Realtors® and violating their fiduciary responsibilities to me as their client.

For State of Florida Real Estate Division:  Complaint Steps 

We also filed a public complaint with the Real Estate Division of the State of Florida. Unfortunately, we did not have much luck with them – so far.

However, now that we have received validation of our multiple claims from the Ethics Hearing Panel and now the full Board of Directors of  the Pinellas Realtor Organization ruling that Sand Key Realty, Inc. and both of the company’s owners, Brian Keith Pelfrey and Jens Cavallius were guilty of violating the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice of the National Association of Realtors®, we are hopeful that by resubmitting our complaint, along with the documentation from the Pinellas Realtor Organization, that the State of Florida will audit and investigate our claims against Sand Key Realty, Inc. and both of the company’s owners.

Here’s the website address you need to go to:  Real Estate Division of the State of Florida

Here’s the document that you need to fill out your complaint:  Complaint Form For State of Florida

Again, it doesn’t cost anything for you to submit a complaint to them.

Hypothetically, I wonder if we were able to get a dozen or more complaints filed against Sand Key Realty and its two owners if the State of Florida would have no choice but to investigate the business dealings and ethics of Sand Key Realty. I would hope that hypothetical number would be enough to trigger an investigation but who knows?

The Division of Real Estate administers the provisions of Chapter 475, Florida Statutes, relating to real estate sales associates, brokers, and real estate appraisers who hold Florida real estate and/or appraisal licenses. The enforcement process begins at the inspection/audit level when periodic and routine reviews of business and office activities determine compliance with Florida law. Real Estate investigators are authorized to issue notices of noncompliance or citations with fines if minor violations are discovered. Other violations are documented for evaluation and possible prosecution.

The Bureau of Enforcement ensures compliance with the provisions of the law and attendant administrative rules by conducting investigations to determine whether any person has violated or is about to violate the provisions of the law. These investigations are initiated as a result of inspections, audits, consumer complaints, and inquiries, or upon the recommendation of the Florida Real Estate Commission or the Florida Real Estate Appraisal Board. Inspections, audits, and investigations are conducted from ten (10) regional offices throughout the state. 

The complaint should clearly identify the subject of the complaint and the allegations. Copies of all pertinent documents concerning the allegation must be included with the complaint (i.e. contracts, closing documents, disclosures, checks front and back, etc.). If the complaint is opened for investigation, the subject will be made aware of the allegations, provided with a copy of the complaint that initiated the investigation, and requested to respond to the allegations; unless the nature of the complaint merits a confidential investigation.

Please click Form RE-2200-1, the Uniform Complaint Form to start the process if you have a valid complaint against Sand Key Realty and/or its two owners Brian Keith Pelfrey and Jens Cavallius. 

For Better Business Bureau of West Florida:  Complaint Steps 

 To file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau of West Florida, simply click Complaint. 

Everything you submit will be forwarded to the business within two business days. The business will be asked to respond within 14 days, and if a response is not received, a second request will be made. You will be notified of the business’s response when they receive it (or notified that they received no response). Complaints are usually closed within 30 business days. However, it appears that your complaint will stay on their web site for a long time.

Again, hypothetically, I wonder if enough complaints will potentially filed against Sand Key Realty and its two owners with the Better Business Bureau if they will give this company an “F” rating for all consumers to see.

Do you want to see our Better Business Bureau filed complaint against these guys? Simply click  Our Complaint. There, you can also see the response by Jens Cavallius of Sand Key Realty and my response to what I personally thought were their absurd, and illogical claims in his response.

Seriously, you might find the information at those links very interesting reading!

Make Your Own Informed Decisions About Sand Key Realty And Its Two Owners

Please note that we are neither an attorney nor accountant and give neither legal nor tax or accounting advice. This webpage strictly reflects our personal opinions based on our own personal experiences while the experiences of others with Sand Key Realty and its owners may be significantly different than ours have been.

This webpage is strictly directed at those who have previously done business with Sand Key Realty in Clearwater Beach and who might have had, in their opinion, an unethical experience like we did with that firm and its two owners.

This page is not intended to influence those currently considering doing business with Sand Key Realty.

We invite you to have your own conversations and other communications with Sand Key Realty and reach your own conclusions as to whether or not you want to work with them or not when it comes to buying, selling, leasing or renting real estate on Sand Key Island or anywhere in the Clearwater Beach, Florida area.

The direct contact information for Sand Key Realty is

Sand Key Realty
Phone: 727-443-0032
Fax:727-461-1334
790 S Gulfview Blvd
Clearwater Beach, FL 33767 US
www.sandkey.com

Based on their webpage, the direct telephone numbers for Brian:  OFFICE: 727-595-1010 CELL: 727-871-0871 and Jens:  OFFICE: 727-443-0032 CELL: 727-741-6668.

Am I Wrong?

Could it be that I am the only person to have ever had a problem with Sand Key Realty of Clearwater Beach Florida during the last three years since the current two owners bought the company?

Could it be that my personal intuition might be that wrong? It’s been wrong before… Perhaps, just maybe, it is this time too.

Perhaps my quest to find others who have had similar problems will be in vain because there are not any. If so, then probably Brian Keith Pelfrey and Jens Cavallius are totally ethical and are fine upstanding citizens of the Clearwater Florida real estate community.

I guess the jury is still out on this, so to speak. But I will be updating this webpage as I get responses, one way or another, from readers who find their way here.

Who knows which way the wind will blow? If it blows in their favor, I will also share that information here as long as it is not from those with vested interests in helping them.

The good news is that for $8.47 per year, or a total of $169.40 for 20 years, I can let this webpage just sit here trying to find perhaps those rare individuals who may, or may not, exist that might have, just maybe, had a prior problems with Sand Key Realty and/or its two owners Brian Keith Pelfrey and Jens Cavallius.

Of course this webpage, and my quest, only have value if it’s able to reach out and be seen by others who may have had dealings with Sand Key Realty and/or its two owners Brian Keith Pelfrey and Jens Cavallius.

As a consequence, I will probably be having someone who really understands SEO and the other technical stuff t tweak this page so that the search engines index this web page and greatly increased my audience of folks who have had experiences, one way or another, with Sand Key Realty and its two owners.

You can also help by spreading the word and sharing the link to this webpage with social media and with others you know who might have an interest in this issue.

Comments?

You are welcome to leave your comments below.

I’d be very interested in hearing your experiences you would like to share from your dealings with Sand Key Realty and its two owners. If you prefer to disclose your experiences with Sand Key Realty in private, please click Contact to e-mail me directly.

Stay tuned:  “We live in interesting times!”

Thank you for your interest,

Robert