Home Builders & Remodelers Association

Of New Haven County

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Complaint Procedure

Home Builders Association of New Haven County Complaint-Handling Procedure:

1) All complaints must be submitted in writing to the Home Builders Association of New Haven County (“HBANHC”).

2) After receipt of the written complaint, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) will send to the complainant HBANHC’s complaint review procedure. The complaint review procedure will advise the complainant that the HBANHC is not a tribunal for resolving the complaint, and that any findings issued by HBANHC will only concern matters related to the Member’s membership status with the association, and that such findings may be reserved until after the dispute has been resolved. The CEO will also supply alternative complaint resolution resources such as contact information for the Better Business Bureau, Department of Consumer Protection and mediators. The member will also be sent a copy of NAHB’s Performance Guidelines, if they do not have one already.

3) The Ethics Committee will review the complaint by the consumer and decide whether or not there is sufficient cause to warrant further investigation.

4) If the Ethics Committee finds sufficient cause to warrant further investigation, it will notify the CEO who will then forward a copy of the complaint to the Member. The CEO will include with the complaint a written Request for Information for the Member to return within 15 days of mailing. The Member shall furnish the following information in response to the Request for Information: A response to the complaint, and a description of any action taken, or to be taken, by the Member to try to resolve the issue(s) concerning the complaint.

5) The Ethics Committee, based on response or lack of response from the member, may decide to recommend action to be taken by the Board of Directors (“BOD”) at the next regularly scheduled meeting. Action is defined as: suspending a Member for a fixed duration, suspending a Member pending compliance with membership rules, or expelling a Member from HBANHC. Refund of membership dues is prohibited in any case. If action is determined to be taken, the member will be notified and given the opportunity to speak at the board meeting about the items listed in the complaint only. The Member may contest the findings and/or recommendations of the Ethics Committee. Afterward, the BOD will vote on whether to take any action against the Member.

6) The BOD may also decide to postpone any action or penalty until a legal decision is made by a court of law on any alleged violations.

7) If the BOD postpones action or penalty until after a legal finding, once a legal finding is rendered, the BOD will review the findings and any proposed recommendations by the Ethics Committee at its next normally scheduled meeting and steps in section 5 above will be followed.