How to File an Anonymous Complaint

How to File an Anonymous Complaint

Minnesota Realtors® (MNR) adopted a substantive revision to its Citation Policy allowing complainants to file an anonymous complaint for alleged violations of citation-eligible Article 12 issues. This new provision will allow a person to submit a complaint and have their name withheld from the respondent, respondent’s broker, and the Grievance Review Panel for initial review, although to complete the complaint form they will need to provide their name and contact information to MNR. No completely anonymous complaints will be allowed.
 
However, the respondent will still have the right to request a hearing on the matter or may not be eligible for a Citation, due to past violations. Therefore, the complainant will need to decide, at the time of filing, whether they wish to either be known or withdraw the complaint, if the respondent is not eligible for citation or requests a hearing on the matter. 

 Overview of the Anonymous Complaint Process

  1. Notice of Anonymous Complaint: Minnesota Realtors® receives an Anonymous Complaint (Form #E-1.1) specifying the alleged violation of the Article 12 citation-eligible issue and the parties are notified of the complaint. a. The anonymous complaint can only be filed on an Article 12 “citation-eligible issues” which are specifically as follows: Article 12 Citation-Eligible Offenses—12, Standards of Practice 12-1, 12-3, 12-4, 12-5, 12-6, 12-7, 12-8, 12-9, 12-10, 12-12, and 12-13 
  2. GRP Review: The Grievance Review Panel ("GRP") of the Professional Standards Committee will review the complaint and determine if there is a potential violation of Article 12 of the Code of Ethics and whether the respondent is eligible for citation. 
  3. Action of GRP: Minnesota Realtors® will send notice of the Action of the GRP to all parties. 
  4. Citation Issued: If a citation is issued, the respondent has 20 days to request a hearing. If none is requested, the citation is deemed accepted and the respondent must complete all required discipline for the citation within the required time. 
  5. Request a Hearing or Ineligible: If respondent does not accept the citation and requests a hearing, or respondent is not eligible for a citation, the complainant will have stated in their complaint that they will either withdraw the complaint or agree to appear at an ethics hearing and be known to the respondent, respondent’s counsel, and the hearing panel. 
  6. Hearing Held: If a hearing is requested or required, and the complainant agrees to be known, a hearing will be scheduled and the complainant will be required to attend the hearing to prove by clear, strong, and convincing evidence that the respondent violated Article 12 as alleged. 

Update Your Contact Information: Notices will be sent via a secure email service called ShareFile to the email address on file in the Realtor® membership record. Please make sure the contact information for all your Minnesota Realtor® members is up to date as failure to comply with an issued citation may lead to further disciplinary action. 

Questions?

Contact the Professional Standards Department at 952.912.2675 or email: prostandards@mnrealtor.com