feedback on hireing Ombudsman's

Started by NancyM2 • 6 replies • 2033 views

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NancyM2 (California)
Posts: 249

Posted:

I would like get some feedback from this wonderful new forum I found. How many of you out their in cyber-space have found the need too hire a full time salaried Ombudsman, separate from what your Mgmt Co provides.

Also I would like to know how of your readers feel about a homeowner/friend of the board being impartial in this position. Would you consider this to be "Conflict of Interest" ?

Another question would be ~ Do your by-laws CC&R's restrict the hiring of homeowners.

I appreciate your input.

Nancy M

JulieS (Georgia)
Posts: 412

Posted:

We do not have anything in our documents that do not restrict who we hire for anything.

GeraldT1 (<Not Specified>)
Posts: 519

Posted:

NancyM2,

My CC&R's do not officially restrict hiring of homeowners however the board's practice is to discourage it, from past experience with one homeowner that was hired as our snow contractor.

I feel a homeowner can be impartial in the position of Ombudsman, however impariality will only be believed (by the disgruntled owner) if the Ombudsman is not a resident. Therefore I believe the outcome if not favorable to the owner will always be subject to a claim of a "conflict of interest".

I believe an outside facilitator should be utilized on an as needed, rather than a full time salaried basis.

GeraldT1

WilliamT (Arizona)
Posts: 489

Posted:

Posted By NancyM2 on 07/07/2006 8:05 AM

I would like get some feedback from this wonderful new forum I found. How many of you out their in cyber-space have found the need too hire a full time salaried Ombudsman, separate from what your Mgmt Co provides.

Also I would like to know how of your readers feel about a homeowner/friend of the board being impartial in this position. Would you consider this to be "Conflict of Interest" ?

Another question would be ~ Do your by-laws CC&R's restrict the hiring of homeowners.

I appreciate your input.

Nancy M

Why would anyone hire a full time Ombudsman unless s/he were mediating for the association 40 hours per week. And if one has that much mediation going on, then there are big problems that should be identified and resolved so there is no need for an Ombudsman.

Hiring a homeowner/friend can be touchy, but it is legal as long as the bylaws do not prohibit it. S/he would eventually prove to be either impartial or partial, depending on the decisions made.

No restriction on hiring of homeowners in our bylaws. Again, there is the potential of conflict of interest, so that potential must be made known to everyone, and multiple bids should be obtained if the dollar amount warrants.

Bill

NancyM2 (California)
Posts: 249

Posted:

Bill ~Thank you for your input. I don't believe their was any RFQ's sent out for Ombudsman, as we never needed an Ombudsman before. Therefore no bids came in. And this guy is paid $82,200.00 a year. (he is a friend of the board)

Nancy

RogerB (Colorado)
Posts: 5,067

Posted:

Nancy,
A friend of the Board who is provided a large salary by the Board is DEFINITELY NOT QUALIFIED to be an ombudsman.

An ombudsman addresses concerns (such as administrative abuse or maladministration) that citizens or groups have about organizations or bureaucracies. In these situations, the ombudsperson acts as an IMPARTIAL mediator between the two parties, providing a less threatening type of dispute resolution. For the ombudsperson to help reduce friction between citizens and the government, he or she must be viewed as trustworthy and NEUTRAL; the process will not work if one party believes that the ombudsperson is taking the side of the other party.

BradP (Kansas)
Posts: 2,640

Posted:

Nancy:

Our rules do not preclude a homeowner from being hired, but I generally discourage the practice here. As for an Ombudsman, I would question any association that felt they needed one. IF you have an honest board there should not be a need for one, unfortunately all boards are not honest. And if I hired one it definitely would not be one of our homeowners, I don't see how they could be 100% impartial.

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