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State commission reviewing complaint against real estate broker

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A state commission is reviewing a complaint filed against the owner and broker of a Cape Coral real estate company convicted of grand theft.
The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulations recently filed an administrative complaint before the Florida Real Estate Commission against Robin Marie Speronis. It alleges that Speronis violated state law by not returning $30,000 to a client and not complying with investigators.
Speronis is the qualifying broker for Speare House, doing business as Zen Real Estate out of her home. The company is currently licensed through the state department and her license was active and current as of Wednesday.
The department has requested that the commission impose one or more penalties from a list that includes suspension or permanent revocation of Speronis’ broker’s license, to a fine, probation or restriction of practice.
Speronis could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Beth Frady, a spokeswoman for the state department, reported that the complaint was presented to the commission on June 20. As of Wednesday, a date had not been set for the commission to discuss the case at a meeting.
“We are in the process of serving the complaint on the respondent,” she wrote in a prepared statement.
According to the complaint, Speronis has the right to request a hearing. If she fails to request a hearing within 21 days, Speronis waives that right.
As of Wednesday, she had not requested a hearing, Frady reported.
“Speronis has not responded to the complaint yet,” she wrote.
Speronis, 52, of 1530 S.W. 53rd Terrace, was sentenced to 10 years of state probation on June 22 after being found guilty of larceny $20,000 less than $100,000 by a judge. She was ordered to pay $32,000 in restitution.
In March 2010, a woman told police that she gave Speronis $52,000 to put into a real estate escrow account for the purchase of a duplex. The contract was later denied and Speronis returned $22,500 of the total amount to her.
The woman reported that the remaining funds were kept in the escrow account for an offer on a vacant lot. After that deal also fell through, the woman was unable to reach Speronis to get back the rest of her money.
The woman told police that she had tried to contact Speronis by telephone, by e-mail and by fax, and had even stopped by Speronis’ residence.
According to court records, Speronis was arrested in July 2009 on a warrant for one count of deposit with intent to defraud and on a court order for one count of grand theft. Both of the charges were nolle prossed later that year.