Unless you are living in California or Oregon, DO NOT file any type of complaint against an unethical real estate agent with the Gallatin Association of Realtors. In fact, never file a complaint with ANY Real Estate Association.
With 2 bad experiences - 1 in Maine and the other in Montana, we have learned that such Realtor Associations are in the Protection Racket. The members of such assocations are current or former real estate agents or brokers themselves. Thus, the citizen is NOT Singing to the Choir. Their existence it to PRETEND that they "take all complaints seriously." The sad fact is that such associations rarely find for the citizen.
Why should they? The realtors are dues paying members and they have no gain to disipline their own. A word to the wise. These so called, Realtor Associations do NOT "police" their own members.
Here is what will happen to your complaint. 99% of the time, the Association will find NO CAUSE for your complaint. Even if the offending agent, signs a notarized statement stating they are at fault, then your chances to win are only up to 50/50.
One must understand that those Association Executives and personnel are Realtors themselves - current or former - and thier mission is to DEFEND the offending agent or broker and the poor citizen making the complaint is none the wiser.
Here is our story:
My husband and I live in Maine. We had an offer on our home with a contingency that we find a suitable replacement home in the West and were given a certain amount of time to do so. We searched for awhile and I came upon a nice home in Anaconda, Montana at a decent price.
I immediately contacted the listing agents, Ed and Grace Silverstein of Clearwater Montana Properties. They did respond and sent me information. We received a phone call from Grace Silverstein on July 10, 2019 - encouraging me to "act on the home" as another buyer might be making an offer.
I did so that same day, making an offer by e-mail - since they (at first) agreed to represent us.
To my shock, I got a rude e-mail from Ed Silverstein - who told me that he would NOT present my offer to the seller and NOW I should find other represenations. This I could not do quickly.
Thus, we lost that nice house and our buyers - seeing we had no contract on a home - terminated our deal.
I first contacted the Rocky Mountain Association of Realtors. I told them my story. The Director there, Judy Kivela, assigned this matter to the Gallatin Association of Realtors. Steve Candler - Executive Officer.
I sent in, by postal mail, a detailed complaint to Mr. Candler on August 1, 2019. I also e-mailed him the e-mails shared by myself and the 2 agents.
I asked Mr. Candler to send me an acknowledgement by postal mail of receipt of the complaint and documentation. I also asked that this serious complaint be given to the Grievance Committee for Review, Investigation and Disiplinary Action to be taken against the 2 realtors.
The long and short of this, that Mr. Candler did not send me any written postal mailed acknowledgement. Did not give my complaint to the Committee. He only sent me a short e-mail saying YEAH I DID GET EVERYTHING.
Now, I ask you, dear readers, what does YEAH mean? Not very professional of Mr. Candler, I believe.
He only had some woman, named Lynn Milligan - send me an e-mail saying she wanted to MEDIATE the matter and for us NOT to share any detailed writings or e-mails because all is CONFIDENTIAL.
Now why would she not want any kind of "detail". Also, this Confidentiality is just another excuse to aid the offending agents - not help the citizen.
I asked her to call me, which she did. In the phone conversation, I asked Ms. Milligan if she read the entire complaint. She replied that she only SKIMMED THROUGH THE COMPLAINT.
She said that Mr. Candler wants her to just simply mediate the matter and not give it to the greivance committee as he felt there must be SOME KIND OF MIS-UNDERSTANING HERE.
I was very angry. I told Ms. Milligan that there was no way to mediate the matter as the agents thew us away like yesterday's garbage. They acted unethical in many ways - pitting one buyer against another and not submitting valid offer, then telling me to virtually - get lost.
She said to me, WHAT DO YOU WANT US TO DO?
I had to repeat myself in telling her to have the complaint brought before the Grievance Committee for Review and Investigation.
She then said, WHAT DO YOU WANT AS AN OUTCOME?
I said, that some sort of disiplinary action be taken against the agents for their unethical and harmful conduct. Also, I wanted to make certain that the 2 agents do NOT do this to any other person.
Lynn Milligan had absolutely no sympathy nor empathy for us - 2 senior citizens wronged by mercenary agents.
I again asked that our complaint be acknowledged with a written letter to us to be mailed by postal mail to our address.
Obviously this was too much for the Gallatin Association of Realtors to do. It is my opinion that they just WANTED THIS MATTER TO GO AWAY, SO THAT THE OFFENDING AGENTS CAN BE PROTECTED.
I spent days trying to get them to send me the requested letter and it never came.
Then, on Monday, August 19, 2019, I get a very nasty and rude e-mail from Lynn Milligan stating that she and Steve Candler are sending this complaint back to the Rocky Mountain Association of Realtors and will NOT handle it.
Now, dear readers, as you can plainly see, our complaint is being bounced back and forth with no intention on the part of the Gallatin Association of Realtors to give it and US - the Respect, Consideration and Attention it and we Deserve!!!!!
I sent 2 e-mails to Judy Kivela - the Director of the Rocky Mountain Association of Realtors, and she DID NOT - AS OF YET RESPOND. I have given her until next Monday to do so.
As you can clearly see, dear readers, these 2 Associations of Realtors are a PURE WASTE OF TIME AND ENERGY.
They and other such Associations are NOT on the side of the citizen and would rather not be bothered by such complaints.
After all, why should they care. They, themselves, are not victims of injustice here!
Also, there is no Oversight for these Associations. The State Government of Montana has no jurisdiction over the Real Estate Associations in their state. That is why they think they can do anything they want and get away with it.
Not fair to the public, I say.
We intend to take this matter further.
This is why we are grateful to this website for allowing - citizens, who have been given a raw deal - to openly express themselves and warn others and gain knowledge.
We openly ask that anyone, who also has been a victim of a negligent real estate agent and then failed to gain help from the Gallatin Assocation of Realtors or ANY Real Estate Association - to reply to this report.
This truthful report is being written as Free Speech, under the protection of the 1st Ammendment to the US Constitution. Such internet reviews are upheld as Free Speech by the wisdom of the United States Surpreme Court.
Signed,
2 Citizens Harmed by the Protection Racket of the Gallatin Association of Realtors.
Gallatin Association of REALTORS Reviews
Unless you are living in California or Oregon, DO NOT file any type of complaint against an unethical real estate agent with the Gallatin Association of Realtors. In fact, never file a complaint with ANY Real Estate Association.
With 2 bad experiences - 1 in Maine and the other in Montana, we have learned that such Realtor Associations are in the Protection Racket. The members of such assocations are current or former real estate agents or brokers themselves. Thus, the citizen is NOT Singing to the Choir. Their existence it to PRETEND that they "take all complaints seriously." The sad fact is that such associations rarely find for the citizen.
Why should they? The realtors are dues paying members and they have no gain to disipline their own. A word to the wise. These so called, Realtor Associations do NOT "police" their own members.
Here is what will happen to your complaint. 99% of the time, the Association will find NO CAUSE for your complaint. Even if the offending agent, signs a notarized statement stating they are at fault, then your chances to win are only up to 50/50.
One must understand that those Association Executives and personnel are Realtors themselves - current or former - and thier mission is to DEFEND the offending agent or broker and the poor citizen making the complaint is none the wiser.
Here is our story:
My husband and I live in Maine. We had an offer on our home with a contingency that we find a suitable replacement home in the West and were given a certain amount of time to do so. We searched for awhile and I came upon a nice home in Anaconda, Montana at a decent price.
I immediately contacted the listing agents, Ed and Grace Silverstein of Clearwater Montana Properties. They did respond and sent me information. We received a phone call from Grace Silverstein on July 10, 2019 - encouraging me to "act on the home" as another buyer might be making an offer.
I did so that same day, making an offer by e-mail - since they (at first) agreed to represent us.
To my shock, I got a rude e-mail from Ed Silverstein - who told me that he would NOT present my offer to the seller and NOW I should find other represenations. This I could not do quickly.
Thus, we lost that nice house and our buyers - seeing we had no contract on a home - terminated our deal.
I first contacted the Rocky Mountain Association of Realtors. I told them my story. The Director there, Judy Kivela, assigned this matter to the Gallatin Association of Realtors. Steve Candler - Executive Officer.
I sent in, by postal mail, a detailed complaint to Mr. Candler on August 1, 2019. I also e-mailed him the e-mails shared by myself and the 2 agents.
I asked Mr. Candler to send me an acknowledgement by postal mail of receipt of the complaint and documentation. I also asked that this serious complaint be given to the Grievance Committee for Review, Investigation and Disiplinary Action to be taken against the 2 realtors.
The long and short of this, that Mr. Candler did not send me any written postal mailed acknowledgement. Did not give my complaint to the Committee. He only sent me a short e-mail saying YEAH I DID GET EVERYTHING.
Now, I ask you, dear readers, what does YEAH mean? Not very professional of Mr. Candler, I believe.
He only had some woman, named Lynn Milligan - send me an e-mail saying she wanted to MEDIATE the matter and for us NOT to share any detailed writings or e-mails because all is CONFIDENTIAL.
Now why would she not want any kind of "detail". Also, this Confidentiality is just another excuse to aid the offending agents - not help the citizen.
I asked her to call me, which she did. In the phone conversation, I asked Ms. Milligan if she read the entire complaint. She replied that she only SKIMMED THROUGH THE COMPLAINT.
She said that Mr. Candler wants her to just simply mediate the matter and not give it to the greivance committee as he felt there must be SOME KIND OF MIS-UNDERSTANING HERE.
I was very angry. I told Ms. Milligan that there was no way to mediate the matter as the agents thew us away like yesterday's garbage. They acted unethical in many ways - pitting one buyer against another and not submitting valid offer, then telling me to virtually - get lost.
She said to me, WHAT DO YOU WANT US TO DO?
I had to repeat myself in telling her to have the complaint brought before the Grievance Committee for Review and Investigation.
She then said, WHAT DO YOU WANT AS AN OUTCOME?
I said, that some sort of disiplinary action be taken against the agents for their unethical and harmful conduct. Also, I wanted to make certain that the 2 agents do NOT do this to any other person.
Lynn Milligan had absolutely no sympathy nor empathy for us - 2 senior citizens wronged by mercenary agents.
I again asked that our complaint be acknowledged with a written letter to us to be mailed by postal mail to our address.
Obviously this was too much for the Gallatin Association of Realtors to do. It is my opinion that they just WANTED THIS MATTER TO GO AWAY, SO THAT THE OFFENDING AGENTS CAN BE PROTECTED.
I spent days trying to get them to send me the requested letter and it never came.
Then, on Monday, August 19, 2019, I get a very nasty and rude e-mail from Lynn Milligan stating that she and Steve Candler are sending this complaint back to the Rocky Mountain Association of Realtors and will NOT handle it.
Now, dear readers, as you can plainly see, our complaint is being bounced back and forth with no intention on the part of the Gallatin Association of Realtors to give it and US - the Respect, Consideration and Attention it and we Deserve!!!!!
I sent 2 e-mails to Judy Kivela - the Director of the Rocky Mountain Association of Realtors, and she DID NOT - AS OF YET RESPOND. I have given her until next Monday to do so.
As you can clearly see, dear readers, these 2 Associations of Realtors are a PURE WASTE OF TIME AND ENERGY.
They and other such Associations are NOT on the side of the citizen and would rather not be bothered by such complaints.
After all, why should they care. They, themselves, are not victims of injustice here!
Also, there is no Oversight for these Associations. The State Government of Montana has no jurisdiction over the Real Estate Associations in their state. That is why they think they can do anything they want and get away with it.
Not fair to the public, I say.
We intend to take this matter further.
This is why we are grateful to this website for allowing - citizens, who have been given a raw deal - to openly express themselves and warn others and gain knowledge.
We openly ask that anyone, who also has been a victim of a negligent real estate agent and then failed to gain help from the Gallatin Assocation of Realtors or ANY Real Estate Association - to reply to this report.
This truthful report is being written as Free Speech, under the protection of the 1st Ammendment to the US Constitution. Such internet reviews are upheld as Free Speech by the wisdom of the United States Surpreme Court.
Signed,
2 Citizens Harmed by the Protection Racket of the Gallatin Association of Realtors.