Location: Honolulu, HI (Condo location), while I am in California.
Hi everyone,
I’m dealing with a serious real estate fraud situation in Honolulu, Hawaii, and I’m hoping for legal insight or advice from others who’ve gone through something similar.
Here’s what happened:
- I (California) was working with a real estate agent (Hawaii)remotely to sell my condo in Hawaii, which I had problem selling because the condition is not great and the HOA is high.
- He claimed he had an international investor ready to buy, but said Buyer’s condition is that I had to renovate the unit to close the deal.
- I also evicted my long-term tenant due to renovation.
- Based on that, I agreed to pay $55,000 for renovations using credit cards since I don’t have cash. But he charged my credit cards at a friend’s auto shop to pull the cash, claiming that’s the only way since construction company he contracted doesn’t take credit card.
- No renovations ever happened. The construction contract was fabricated using the name of a real company. There was no real buyer even though he still denies this.
- When confronted, he admitted he took the money and I had the agent electronically signed a PDF admitting everything, promising to pay the money back in 16 days, and acknowledging that “funds were not used as agreed” and “Due to the misrepresentation surrounding the renovation, [I] also lost his long-term tenant, resulting in additional financial losses from lost rent and vacancy…“
- His supervising broker at the real estate firm was CC’d on that email.
- So far, I haven’t received a cent back. I also lost my tenant, lost rental income, and out of pocket $55K in credit card debts. The condo is still not sold even though we went into Escrow since Buyer never paid.
- I contacted the broker, who initially said everything was fine when I was suspicious 2 months ago, which was exposed a month later by me finding out renovation never happened. The broker also claims their insurance won’t cover this.
- If I don’t receive the money by next Monday, I plan to file a police report, file chargeback on my credit cards, contact real estate board, and find an attorney.
- However, my credit card transactions were all the way back in late March 2025, not sure if chargeback will work since its over 90 days….
I have clear documentation:
- Credit card statements
- The agent’s signed written admission of using my funds not as agreed.
- Communication records with both the agent and the broker, mostly with the agent.
I’m exploring hiring a contingency attorney, since I can’t afford any more out of pocket expense. But upon research, it also seems like real estate attorneys don’t like to do contingency…
Any advice — especially from Hawaii real estate/legal professionals — would mean a lot. Thank you.