Mission Statement
MVREIA’s mission is to provide the best quality and most updated training, education, and networking opportunities to its members and to promote ethical business practices with the general public. We pride ourselves and our members on the positive and productive relationships we have with the city inspectors, code compliance offices, realtors, lenders, mortgage brokers, and all the contractors and all other real estate- related professionals with whom we do business.
Code of Ethics And Standards of Practice of MVREIA Members
The ownership and management of real estate is a highly regulated segment of the free enterprise system of the United States of America. As such, the members of the Mahoning Valley Real Estate Investors Association (MVREIA) must treat this enterprise with the utmost professionalism.
MVREIA members are intent on expanding their knowledge of real estate investing and management. In order to pursue these ends in a legal and ethical manner, all “MVREIA members” will be held to a higher standard of ethical behavior. This includes, but is not limited to, the following enumerated list of behaviors:
1. MVREIA members will act professionally as real estate investing and housing providers when dealing with tenants, the public, the media, government officials, and all others.
2. MVREIA members will not intentionally misrepresent any material fact in their business dealings, including their business dealings with other members.
3. MVREIA members will fully disclose their interest in any property and the nature of their interest when dealing with, or engaging in transactions with, other MVREIA members.
4. MVREIA members should keep themselves informed on matters affecting housing in their community, including local, state, and federal laws. A violation of a local, state or federal law, as determined by the ethics committee, shall be a violation of these rules.
5. MVREIA members shall not engage in unprofessional conduct, including, but not limited to:
- A departure from or failure to conform to applicable federal, state or local governmental rules or, if no such rule exists, to the minimal standards of acceptable and prevailing in practice;
- Conduct likely to deceive, defraud or harm others;
- Demonstrating a willful or careless disregard for rights of others;
- Any practice that is contrary to the ethical conduct appropriate to the profession;
- Knowingly aiding, assisting, advising or facilitating another in engaging in conduct which, if conducted by the MVREIA member directly, would constitute a violation of these rules;
- Engaging in false, fraudulent, deceptive or misleading communications to any person regarding the individual’s education, training, credentials, experience or qualifications, or the status of the individual’s state permit, license or registration certificate;
- Making a false statement or knowingly providing false information to, or failing to cooperate with any investigation of, the Ethics Committee.
6. MVREIA members will be responsible for completing their own due diligence in all business dealings.
7. MVREIA members will not falsely malign, disparage, slander or in any other way adversely affect the reputation of the MVREIA, its members, guests, or vendors. Nothing herein prevents the MVREIA member from truthfully communicating issues or pursuing disputes with other members.
8. A MVREIA member(s) who wants the Association to take action against another member for what they perceive to be unethical behavior as defined in this document must present their case and evidence of unethical behavior to the President, in writing, for review. The President will refer the issue to the Ethics Committee (Board of Directors). If, based upon the discretion of the Ethics Committee, there is insufficient information upon which to base a charge of a violation of the Rules of Ethics, or the allegations against the member are patently frivolous or inconsequential, or the allegations if true would not constitute a violation of the Rules of Ethics, the committee may summarily dismiss the matter. The Ethics Committee is responsible for investigating each alleged breach of the Rules of Ethics and determining whether a member has failed to observe the Rules of Ethics in the Standards, and determining an appropriate sanction; and periodically assessing the Code of Ethics and recommending any amendments. The Ethics Committee will investigate and review the allegations, conduct hearings or engage in any evidentiary proceeding it deems as necessary to fully dispose of the complaint. The Ethics Committee will submit their findings and make a decision within 30 days. The Ethics Committee may levy fines, suspend membership, or expel members who do not conform to the requirements of these rules.
9. MVREIA members and non-members alike will not be allowed to use the meetings, website, or any other means to create a non-solicited list for any reason. A non-solicited list is described as follows: passing a list around for others to enter their contact information, using a bowl, box, or other collection device for people to drop their business cards in, collecting contact info from the website, or other methods where a member or non-member might think that the list is being created or cards are being collected for MVREIA.
- Members and non-members are encouraged to network and collect contact information personally and individually. Not by means of some sort of mass collection method as described above.
- If such a list is being created, MVREIA has the right to confiscate it and the individual(s) responsible for generating such a list will be reprimanded and possibly banned from any future meetings or events.