At the Hearing
At the Hearing
Appreciate that panel members are unpaid volunteers giving their time as their service to the Association. Their objective is to be fair, unbiased, and impartial; to determine as peer reviewers of the facts, based on the evidence and testimony presented to them what actually occurred; and then to determine whether the facts as they find them support a finding that there has been a violation of the charges alleged.
- The hearing panel will consist of 3-4 panel members; one will be designated as the "Presiding Officer". For a more complete overview of the hearing process, please refer to the "Outline of Procedure" included in your package or available by clicking on the form.
- Keep your presentation concise, factual, and to the point. Your task is to demonstrate what happened (or what should have happened but didn't) and how the facts support a violation of the Article(s) or MLS Rules charged in the complaint.
- The hearing panel will pay careful attention to what you say and how you say it. An implausible account doesn't become more believable through repetition or, through volume.
- You are involved in an adversarial process that is, to some degree, unavoidably confrontational. Many violations result from misunderstanding or lack of awareness of ethical duties by otherwise well-meaning, responsible real estate professionals.
- An ethics complaint has potential to be viewed as an attack on a respondent’s integrity and professionalism. For the enforcement process to function properly, it is imperative for all parties, witnesses, and panel members to maintain appropriate decorum.
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