The Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) is pleased to announce Chief Investigator Roy Minton, has received the Association of Real Estate License Law Officials (ARELLO) Investigator of the Year Award for 2019. 

The ARELLO Investigator/Auditor Resource Committee presents the Investigator of the Year Award in recognition of the skills and accomplishments demonstrated by the year's most outstanding investigation. Selection criteria include Techniques, Innovation, Use of Resources, Jurisdictional Violations Discovered, Complexity of Case, Documentation of Evidence, Interview Skills, Creativity, and Report Writing Skills. 

Mr. Minton's extensive investigation involved a licensed rental locator business and its license holders who falsified or helped tenants to falsify rental property application data. According to Mark Moore, TREC's Director of Standards & Enforcement Services, "In Roy's time with the Texas Real Estate Commission, he has investigated over 600 cases. This case was among the most interesting and challenging to date. Specifically, the lack of cooperation from most of the rental applicant witnesses created a critical obstacle. In the end, Roy's masterful investigation connected the dots of fraudulent data that appeared across a vast number of applications. He also uncovered critical pieces of information that connected the fraudulent data, such as phone numbers and addresses, back to the respondents. In the end, the charged agents changed their initial response from 'I have not committed any wrongdoing and have nothing to do with any alteration of application materials' to admitting their full participation and involvement in falsifying rental applications to obtain rental approvals and resulting commissions."

The case materials also noted a large regional property management company revealed to TREC the loss of over one million dollars in the San Antonio market over the relevant period, directly connected to fraudulent rental applications, and the subsequent 'skips,' evictions, and re-leasing costs and property damage caused by the respondents' activity. The resolution of the case included multiple agreed orders affecting the licensed entity, the sponsoring broker, and various sponsored agents. "There is a reason Roy is the agency's Chief Investigator," said Douglas Oldmixon, TREC's Executive Director. "His tenacity and ingenuity ensure we get to the essential facts of every case investigated. We are very proud of ARELLO's recognition of his skills."

Original award announcement made in ARELLO Boundaries Magazine. Congratulations, Mr. Minton!

***Photo above shows Roy Minton receiving the award from Heather Garrett of Arkansas***