Rodney Gillis Tidsbury is being fined $1,000 and has been ordered to complete coursework, after the Insurance Council of British Columbia heard that Tidsbury confirmed – to a seller’s representative – that a property being purchased by his agency’s client had received confirmation of insurance.

The level 2 general insurance agent, licensed since April 1999, has held authorization to represent an agency since December 2020. In September 2021 the insurance council received a complaint from a client of the agency where Tidsbury worked, alleging that the agent released her information to a third party without her consent.

After contacting the agency to obtain an insurance quote on the subject property – found to have polybutylene plumbing and aluminum wiring – several agents in the firm worked to obtain quotes on the file, the availability of insurance being a condition of the property’s purchase.

At some time in the evening before the property was set to close, the seller’s realtor contacted Tidsbury for general information about the insurability of properties known to have aluminum wiring and poly-B plumbing. During the course of the conversation the agent confirmed to the realtor that the property in question received confirmation of insurance earlier that same day.

The agent did not know that the buyer, his client, had requested and extension to remove conditions, as she wanted to investigate the insurance costs. “The sellers did not extend the time for removal of subjects and ultimately the sale fell through,” the insurance council’s intended decision states. “Presumably the seller’s knowledge of the confirmation of insurance on the property lead them not to extend the time frame for removal of subjects; however, that has not been confirmed with the sellers.” 

Council concluded that Tidsbury did not intentionally disclose the confidential client information but added that the fact he has not acknowledged any wrongdoing is an aggravating factor, along with the fact that the extension for the removal of subjects in the offer to purchase the property was likely not granted due to the sellers receiving the confidential information.

In addition to the $1,000 fine, Tidsbury must also pay investigation costs of $1,625 and complete two courses, the Council Rules Course for general insurance salespersons and agents, and the Privacy Compliance Course – How to Protect Your Brokerage Part 1 and 2, offered by the Insurance Brokers Association of British Columbia.