TERRY and Jan Sapey lost the house of their dreams to an estate agent who was meant to be selling it.

But the couple were celebrating today after a tribunal ruled that estate agents Connell had breached professional rules.

Mr and Mrs Sapey claim they were treated unfairly by the Cowley branch of Connell Estate Agents when they tried to buy a semi-detached house in Bleache Place, Oxford.

The Sapeys, of Gaisford Road, Cowley, said they offered the full asking price for the £82,000 house but pulled out after being told it would take three weeks for their offer to be put through.

But their disappointment turned to anger when the house was eventually bought by Connell employee Gary Heppell, who paid just £5 above other offers for the house.

A disciplinary tribunal of the National Association of Estate Agents found Connell Estate Agents were in breach of:

The rule covering acts of dishonesty, unprofessional practice, deceitful behaviour or behaviour unfair to the public.

The duty to protect and promote clients' interests.

Rules governing conflict of interest.

The duty to applicants. The company was fined a total of £1,200 with £140 costs at the tribunal in Warwick but cleared of bringing the association into disrepute.

Connell had pleaded not guilty to seven breaches of the association's rules of conduct and says it is to appeal.

The verdict was welcomed by Mr Sapey, a 38-year-old engineer. "We had no idea that Gary Heppell, who was acting as our personal sales adviser, was interested in buying the property. He had seemed to be working against us and not for us," he said.

But John Smith, an area director for Connell, said: "We feel we have been harshly treated by the tribunal. From the moral stand-point nobody at the company has done anything wrong. There was no attempt to do anything unscrupulous or fraudulent and we will appeal.

"We believe the reason the tribunal found against us is because our administrative processes are not as sharp as they could and should be."

Mr Smith said all offers had been put to the house owners, who had ultimately chosen the one from Mr Heppell, who now works for Connell in Witney.

Mr Smith added: "We would have avoided all this if we'd made more careful notes of some of the discussions.

Connell say they received an offer of only £80,000 from the Sapeys. The sale took place last spring.

A spokesman for the National Association of Estate Agents said: "The association does not discuss details of its disciplinary procedures, which are private and confidential."

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