The BC Financial Services Authority (BCFSA) recently discovered that former real estate agent Jake Singh Kanda engaged in professional misconduct by failing to disclose to provincial licensing authorities that he had been charged with crimes.
In accordance with British Columbia’s Real Estate Services Act, licensees are required to inform the BCFSA’s superintendent of real estate in writing if they are charged with or convicted of an offense, and also to notify their managing broker.
The decision highlights that Kanda did not participate in the BCFSA’s hearing process and has not held a license under the Real Estate Act since February 2023.
34 charges involved, requested information ‘withheld, concealed, or refused to provide’
The decision, available on the regulator’s website, includes nine charges from February 2019, ten from January 2021, and nine from July 2021.
Six charges from October 2016 (prior to Kanda becoming a licensed real estate agent) were dropped. However, in May 2021, he provided a false or misleading statement in response to investigatory requests from the Real Estate Council of British Columbia (RECBC).
Several charges were proven, with similarities between the 2019 and 2021 charges stemming from incidents in 2016.
The document also states that Kanda failed to provide requested information to the RECBC and did not promptly notify the superintendent in writing after being convicted of assault and pointing a firearm at a person in October 2016.
The decision
Following requests from investigators in April 2021, Kanda’s lawyer falsely claimed in May 2021 that the charges had been dropped permanently. In February 2022, it was revealed that the stay of proceedings for the 2019 charges had been set aside, prompting requests for updates and court documents.
Despite repeated requests, information for the charges was only provided in August 2022, with no explanation for the delay. The BCFSA concluded that Kanda’s failure to disclose information constituted professional misconduct.
To read the regulator’s decision in its entirety, click here.
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