The GAR Statewide Professional Standards Program

The GAR Statewide Professional Standards Program has been a great success this year, thanks to the hard work of your members. We have been busy this year with more than 30 Ethics and Arbitration cases combined.

It is almost the end of the first year for the Statewide Professional Standards Program and just wanted to give you a few updates and information for the 2012 year. Pat Johnson will be  Chairman of Professional Standards and Tim Adams will be Vice Chairman of Professional Standards in 2012. Faith Reid will be Chairman of Grievance and Dan Wilhelm will be Vice Chairman of Grievance in 2012. The GAR Board of Directors voted to create a Mediation Committee for 2012, information on the Mediation Committee is enclosed. The GAR Board of Directors also voted to create an Interboard Arbitration Agreement for those boards/associations who do not participate in the Statewide Program, information on that is also enclosed.

Attachments:

1.       2011 Ethics and Arbitration Activity Report through September 30, 2011.

2.      2012 Grievance and Professional Standards Entitlements based on July 31, 2011 membership numbers.

3.      Grievance and Professional Standards blank appointee form. Please return the completed form to me before December 1, 2011. You don’t need to list anyone who is already serving with term dates ending in 2012 and 2013.

4.      Statewide Professional Standards Enforcement Agreement. If you have already signed and returned an agreement, you don’t have to sign another agreement. It is stated on page six that to withdraw from the Statewide Program, you must notify GAR 30 days in advance of the date of withdrawal.

5.      Mediation Information. We will be accepting Mediation Officer Applications through November 14, 2011. Your board/association doesn’t have to participate in the Statewide Program for your members to apply.

6.      Interboard Arbitration Agreement. This document is for those boards/associations who are not participating in the Statewide Program.

The Professional Standards and Grievance Committees will be meeting soon to discuss Training for 2012. Mediation training will also be scheduled for 2012.  I will send everyone the dates as soon as they become available.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me at cconway@garealtor.com or 678-597-4129.

  

Sincerely,

  

Christy Conway

Director of Leadership Services

Georgia Association of REALTORS®
3200 Presidential Drive
Atlanta, GA 30340-3910
Direct: 678.597.4126
Fax: 770.458.6992

GAR Mediators Needed

As some of you are aware, the GAR Board of Directors has approved the formation of the GAR Mediation Committee. The Chair and Vice Chair of the Mediation Committee will be selected by the 2012 GAR President and President Elect.

To be eligible to serve as a GAR Mediator, please complete the attached Mediator application and return to me by November 14, 2011. The qualifications are listed below.

Qualifications

To serve as a mediator for the Georgia Association of REALTORS®, an individual should meet the following qualifications:

·         REALTORS® with tact, diplomacy, and a sense of equity who have a familiarity with state real estate rules and practice, seven years of real estate experience, who are or have managing broker experience, and who have completed a recognized course of instruction on mediation; or

·         Professional mediators with recognized mediation credentials who are members in good standing with an established public or private dispute resolution organization and who possesses a fundamental knowledge of real estate satisfactory to the association; or

·         Real estate professionals including title officers, real estate attorneys, appraisers, association staff, etc., who are trained in mediation by and possess real estate experience satisfactory to the association.

·         Be familiar with the NAR Code of Ethics, Georgia real estate statutes and regulations, and applicable MLS Rules and Regulations.

·         Primary member of GAR

It is preferred that mediators have served on the Grievance Committee and/or Professional Standards Committee on a local or state level and have served on at least one hearing panel, but it is not required.

Georgia Association of REALTORS®

Mediation Officer Application

Full Name:     ________________________________    Date: ___________

Company: _____________________________________________________

Office Address: __________________________________________________

City: ______________________  State: ______________  Zip: ____________

Primary Local Board/Association: _____________________________________

Best Contact Phone Number: ________________________________________

E-mail Address: _________________________________________________

1. How long have you been actively licensed?

_______________________________________________________

2. What is your Managing Broker experience? If you are not a REALTOR®, please describe what type of profession you are in.

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

3. Have you completed training on mediation? If so, what training did you attend?

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Please explain your Mediation experience.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. Please list any State and/or Local Grievance and/or Professional Standards experience.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. How far are you willing to travel to a Mediation?

_______________________________________________________

_________________________                   _______________________

Applicant’s Signature                                 Board/Association President or AE Signature

You may mail, email or fax this application to the:

Georgia Association of REALTORS®, 3200 Presidential Drive, Atlanta, GA  30340

Attention: Christy Conway         E-mail:  cconway@garealtor.com           Fax: 770-458-6992

Congratulations to Austin Hill and Janet Howard for being selected to participate in the 2011-2012 Leadership Savannah Program!

Unified Zoning Ordinance (UZO) draft

On Tuesday, June 28, 2011 the Metropolitan Planning Commission released the Unified Zoning Ordinance (UZO) draft, including a zoning map for public review and comment. The UZO is an updated and unified zoning ordinance and zoning map for the city of Savannah and unincorporated Chatham County. http://www.thempc.org/ 

If you would like to make comments on the new UZO draft feel free to email your SABOR President, Monica Spillane at mspillane@oursignatureproperties.com

SABOR's Annual Bowl-A-Thon

SABOR welcomes Patrick Kelley to our staff!

Dear SABOR/SMLC Members,

In our continued effort to provide you with the best, most up to date service and support, we are proud to welcome Patrick Kelley to our staff.  Patrick will assume the responsibilities of SMLC Director and Technology Director. He, as do the other staff members, looks forward to hearing from you with any problems or assistance that you may need. Also, Patrick is available to speak at your sales meetings about issues and questions regarding the MLS, so give him a call and get him on your schedules.

Sincerely, Chip Kreps, Association Executive

SABOR/SMLC/RCA

WCR & YCR Luau Thursday, June 16th