NSW Fair Trading has cancelled the licence of Coffs Harbour strata manager, Jessica Marrie Carah, and permanently disqualified her from the industry after finding she had fraudulently converted over $2 million from dozens of strata schemes accounts into her own personal account.
Due to the fraudulent conversions, NSW Fair Trading found the former strata manager and licensee in charge acted unlawfully, improperly, unfairly or incompetently in the course of carrying on business as a holder of a Class 1 Agent – Strata Management licence.
“Strata managers are required to hold separate trust accounts for owners corporations. Those funds must only be used as the owners corporation directs and cannot be used for any other purpose,” said Fair Trading Commissioner and Acting Strata and Property Services Commissioner, Natasha Mann.
“This case is disturbing. NSW Fair Trading is ensuring people like this are removed from the industry so that consumers are protected.”
NSW Fair Trading investigators uncovered 398 fraudulent transactions impacting 66 separate strata plans between February 2024 and December 2024, with Ms Carah’s employment ceasing with SMS Community & Strata Specialists at the end of January 2025.
Ms Carah’s alleged misconduct spans across a range of strata schemes. They include one strata scheme where she had fraudulently converted $216,500 over 13 transactions, another $112,000 was fraudulently converted across 13 transactions in another strata scheme, and a further $162,552 was fraudulently converted across 19 transactions in another strata scheme.
In light of the above, Ms Carah was found to not be a fit and proper person to be involved in the direction, management or conduct of the business of a licensee under the Property and Stock Agents Act 2002, Fair Trading said in a statement.
The cancellation of Ms Carah’s licence took effect in December 2025 and follows an earlier suspension of Ms Carah’s licence in November 2025.
“Enforcement action like this is a crucial part of the Government’s work to lift standards, boost consumer confidence and restore trust in the strata sector,” said said Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading, Anoulack Chanthivong.
This license cancellation can be viewed on NSW’s new ‘Name and Shame’ List, a tool launched earlier this week allowing homeowners, purchasers and renters to check the track record of property agents before they sign on the dotted line.
For more information, or if you have any questions because you have been impacted by this strata managing agent, you can Make a Strata or Property Services enquiry to NSW Fair Trading.
