Filing an Ethics Complaint
Requirements
Any person, member or non-member may file an ethics complaint against a member and/or broker alleging a violation of the Code of Ethics, Bylaws or MLS Rules & Regulations. A Complaint must be filed within 180 days from close of escrow or date of discovery. You must submit a summary detailing the events that took place with time frames and any evidence you wish to submit. Your summary must support the actual Code of Ethics, Bylaws or MLS Rules and Regulations you are charging against the agent and/or broker.
RSR Member Disputes
What will happen to the agent if she/he is found in violation? The penalties range from a letter of warning in their file, to required education course, a fine of up to $15,000 (MLS Violation), suspension of MLS or association services and/or notification to the California Bureau of Real Estate about the complaint. The Association does not, however, have the authority to remove or terminate a member’s license.
Procedure
NOTE - There is no filing fee. If you decide to file, please complete the form Disciplinary Complaint Form D-1 which identifies the Code of Ethics you want to charge and return it to the Association office with a detailed summary of the events that took place.
Your complaint will then be sent to the Grievance Committee and they will determine if it should go forward for a hearing. If it is sent forward for a hearing, the Respondent will then be notified a complaint has been filed against them and they will have 20 days to submit their written response. A hearing will be scheduled at which time you will present your case to a panel of three members from the Professional Standards Committee. They will come to a decision and administer disciplinary action if deemed appropriate. The process can take approximately 2-3 months in order to ensure due process to both sides.
