Burlington Camden County Association of REALTORS® ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES (A Component of BCCAR's Quality Assurance Program) Revised 1/01

DUES & MEMBERSHIP
Member Resignations
Confidentiality of Member Files
New Member Orientation
Dues and Application Fee Refunds
Credit Card Payments of Dues & Accounts
Honorary Membership

FISCAL
Financial Policies
Employee Bonuses/Incentive Compensation
Staff Benefits
Personnel

GRIEVANCE & PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS
Tape Recording of Ethics & Arbitration Hearings
Ethics & Arbitration Hearings
Case Files
Grievance Committee Responses

LEGISLATIVE/LEGAL
Private Property Rights
Guidelines for Open House Signs

DIRECTORS
Confidentiality of Directors' Information
Board of Directors' Motions
Policy on Communication with Board of Directors
Director Allowance
Board Appointed NAR Director

COMMUNICATIONS
Advertising
Mailing List Access
E-mail Subscription - NO EMAIL ADDRESSES WILL BE SOLD AT ANY TIME

PUBLIC RELATIONS
News Releases & Official Association Statements
Association News Releases

MISCELLANEOUS
Contributions to Charitable Organizations
Smoke Free Environment
Signs on Association Property
Records Retention

DUES & MEMBERSHIP

Subject: MEMBER RESIGNATIONS
Source & Date: Board of Directors, November 25, 1997.

Resignations of Designated REALTORS® from the Association shall be reviewed by the Board of Directors prior to acceptance of resignation.

If any member submitting a resignation is indebted to the Association for dues, fees, fines, or other assessments of the Association for any of its services, departments or divisions, the Association shall condition the right of the resigning Member to reapply for membership upon payment in full of all monies owed.

Any member submitting a resignation who is indebted to the Association for dues, fines, or other assessments of the Association shall not be considered as a resignation in Good Standing.

In the event any Member resigns, is dropped for non-payment, or otherwise terminated from Membership, any pending disciplinary proceeding shall not be further processed, nor may a new disciplinary complaint be processed, but shall be held in abeyance until such former member has been reinstated, or otherwise becomes a Member in good standing, at which time the matter will be processed.

Subject: CONFIDENTIALITY OF MEMBERSHIP FILES
Source & Date: Board of Directors, November 25, 1997.

Information in the membership files maintained by the Association shall be deemed "confidential" and shall not be made available to members or others except to the extent required for proper administration of the Association, and then, only upon authorization of the Chief Executive Officer or Association Attorney, except that a member may review their own file.

Subject: NEW MEMBER ORIENTATION
Source & Date: Board of Directors, November 25, 1997.

The Association shall provide an orientation process, subject to periodic review by the Board of Directors, for all new members. No fee shall be charged for the process; however, application fees shall be applied toward materials, etc. purchased for the process.

The content shall coincide with the recommended program of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®, including information on member benefits, Professional Standards, Fair Housing Laws, Antitrust, Agency, local rules & regulations, etc.

The orientation process shall be coordinated by the Vice President, Customer Service in the instruction. The Vice President, Customer Service has the authority to excuse from the process applicants who can show evidence that they have completed a similar, acceptable program at another Association of REALTORS®.

Subject: DUES AND APPLICATION FEE REFUNDS
Source & Date: Board of Directors, November 25, 1997.

The application fee (if any) for membership is non-refundable. The unused portion of a member's current year dues are non-refundable.

Subject: CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS OF DUES & ACCOUNTS
Source & Date: Board of Directors, November 25, 1997.

The Burlington Camden County Association of REALTORS® will accept payment by either VISA or MasterCard for products, programs, and services.

Subject: HONORARY MEMBERSHIP
Source & Date: Board of Directors, January 15, 1999.

Honorary membership should be reserved for the highest caliber of Association member who has made contributions to the Association or real estate community that are well beyond that of the average member.

Applications for honorary membership will be considered by the Board of Directors using the following guidelines:

1. The member has a reputation of high ethical conduct and is widely known as a REALTOR® who has the utmost integrity.
2. The member has been a member of the REALTOR Association for at least 20 years.
3. The member has contributed 15 years combined total service/involvement to the Association or real estate community. Service on multiple Association Committees, Task Forces, etc. in the same year can count as one year for each activity.
4. The member is retired from the active real estate business.
5. A recommendation for honorary membership (a form is available for this purpose) has been completed and submitted by a REALTOR® member and cannot be submitted by the member being considered for honorary membership.

The Board of Directors will consider all recommendations for honorary membership based upon the above criteria and will consider other factors as deemed appropriate.

FISCAL

Subject: FINANCIAL POLICIES
Source & Date: Board of Directors, November 25, 1997

The Financial/Accounting Policies for the Association are outlined in the Financial and Accounting Policy Manual.

Subject: EMPLOYEE BONUSES/INCENTIVE COMPENSATION
Source & Date: Board of Directors, October 17, 1997.

The Association will grant annual bonuses in December to all eligible employees, as outlined in the Association's Incentive Compensation Program.

Subject: STAFF BENEFITS
Source & Date: Board of Directors, November 25, 1997.

The Association shall pay for health, medical, hospital, and dental insurance for all full time employees as outlined in the Association's Personnel Manual. The Association shall make a contribution to a retirement plan for all full-time employees at a percentage of the employee's gross annual salary as determined annually.

Subject: PERSONNEL
Source & Date: Board of Directors, November 25, 1997.

As outlined in the Association's Personnel Manual, the Chief Executive Officer of the Association makes all determinations on hiring/firing and management of the Association's personnel including salary determinations as provided for in the Association's budget.

GRIEVANCE & PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS

Subject: TAPE RECORDING OF ETHICS & ARBITRATION HEARINGS
Source & Date: Board of Directors, November 25, 1997.

Consistent with the recommendations of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®, the Association shall tape all ethics and arbitration hearings.

All parties at hearings will be apprised of tape recording. Tapes will be retained as part of the Case File only until expiration time for all appeals, or until a date when any sanction imposed by the Association has been completed, and then will be erased or discarded.

All tapes are the exclusive and confidential property of the Association. Tapes shall be considered the official record of the hearing. Copies of any tape recording or any transcripts are to be used only for appeal purposes. Any party to a hearing has the right to obtain a copy of the official tape recording subject to payment of the Association's duplication costs and any duplication will be conducted under the supervision of the Association. Unauthorized use of tape recordings or transcripts other than for appeal purposes shall be forbidden and construed as a violation of Articles 14 and 15 of the Code of Ethics.

Subject: ETHICS & ARBITRATION HEARINGS
Source & Date: Board of Directors, November 25, 1997.

The Chief Executive Officer and/or Professional Standards Coordinator shall be present at hearings when deemed necessary by the Panel Chairman. If present, the role of the Chief Executive Officer and/or Professional Standards Coordinator shall be to record the proceedings, offer procedural advice to the panel when requested, mark and file all exhibits, and record the decision of the panel. The Chief Executive Officer and/or Professional Standards Coordinator shall not be present for the Executive Session of the panel.

The Association Attorney shall be present at hearings when deemed necessary by the Panel Chairman. If present, the role of the Association Attorney shall be to advise the panel on issues of procedure and law. The presence of Association legal counsel during Executive Session is a matter of the panel's discretion. Association Counsel may not take an active role in the conduct of the hearing, including examination or cross-examination of the parties or their witnesses. If counsel believes an action or procedure is inconsistent with the Association's established procedure, or may result in potential liability to the Association, counsel's concerns should be communicated to the Chairman of the Panel.

Subject: CASE FILES
Source & Date: Board of Directors, November 25, 1997.

The entire file for an Ethics or Arbitration Hearing shall be provided in advance to the Panel Members for their review prior to the meeting. Cases shall be sent first-class mail and shall be marked "Confidential". Panel members shall be advised that the contents are confidential and they shall not discuss them with anyone, including other panel members.

Subject: GRIEVANCE COMMITTEE RESPONSES
Source & Date: Board of Directors, November 25, 1997.

The Grievance Committee will require a reply from the respondent before committee action will be taken. Failure to respond to the Grievance Committee request for a reply will result in the Committee taking action on the information submitted, and may also result in amending the original complaint to add Article 14 as an alleged violation.

LEGISLATIVE/LEGAL

Subject: PRIVATE PROPERTY RIGHTS
Source & Date: Board of Directors, November 25, 1997.

The Board of Directors and Legislative Committee are pledged to protect private property rights, and will defend issues which affect private property rights within the jurisdiction of the Association as assigned by the National Association of REALTORS® or any other area deemed to have a concentration of members. Issues which affect private property rights shall be referred to the Legislative Committee prior to action by the Association of REALTORS®.

Subject: GUIDELINES FOR OPEN HOUSE SIGNS
Source & Date: Board of Directors, November 25, 1997

The Burlington Camden County Association of REALTORS® recommends to its members, and to local townships, the following guidelines for placement of real estate signs:

1. Never place a sign on private property without permission of owner;
2. Avoid placing signs in public right of ways, on divided highway islands, between curb and sidewalk, or on utility poles or traffic signs. Exception: If it is necessary to place OPEN HOUSE DIRECTIONAL sign between curb and sidewalk, it should be removed immediately upon conclusion of the OPEN.
3. Place OPEN HOUSE signs, including DIRECTIONAL sign, no sooner than four hours before the commencement of the OPEN HOUSE and retrieve the sign no later than two hours following the conclusion of the OPEN HOUSE.
4. Avoid placement of DIRECTIONAL signs on major arteries which point the way to properties for sale located on secondary streets; (Exception: a DIRECTIONAL sign may be placed if the property is located on a remote road, or if the property is set so far back off the road that such sign proves to be a necessity to identify and effectively market the property).
5. Signs placed along state highways should be set back at least thirteen feet from the curb line to permit maintenance of the shoulders by the State; offending signs may be confiscated by the State without notice.
6. Avoid placement of signs which might tend to direct traffic in violation of traffic laws; i.e., do not place OPEN HOUSE DIRECTIONAL signs with an arrow pointing LEFT if a left turn is illegal at that point, or if following such directions might lead one the wrong way on a one-way street.
7. Retrieve all FOR SALE signs promptly after settlements.
8. Inspect your signs regularly to be sure they are properly placed and properly maintained.

* The purpose of these guidelines is to minimize the number of signs placed throughout a community, while still preserving their effectiveness as a marketing tool in the sale of real estate, and to preserve the natural beauty of the community's roadways.

DIRECTORS

Subject: CONFIDENTIALITY OF DIRECTORS' INFORMATION
Source & Date: Board of Directors, November 25, 1997.

Grievance and Professional Standards matters reviewed by the Board of Directors is deemed confidential information. Information discussed while the Directors are in Executive Session is deemed confidential information. If any Director of the Association reveals confidential information received during a Board of Directors meeting, without prior authorization from the Chairman of the Board of the Association, this dissemination of confidential information shall be considered cause for removal from the Board of Directors. Proper notification shall be given to such Director and a hearing shall be held in accordance with the policies outlined in the Professional Standards Manual.

Subject: BOARD OF DIRECTORS' MOTIONS
Source & Date: Board of Directors, November 25, 1997.

All motions adopted, or not adopted, by the Board of Directors become the action of the entire group of Directors. To that end, the minutes of the Board of Directors meetings shall not include the names of those persons presenting or seconding a motion.

Names of Directors abstaining or voting against a motion shall only be noted in the minutes when specifically requested by that Director.

Subject: POLICY ON COMMUNICATION WITH BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Source & Date: Board of Directors, October 3, 1997, revised July 14, 2000.

It shall be the policy of the Board of Directors that the primary method of communication shall be by Electronic Mail (E-Mail). The Association staff and leadership will send all notices and copies of documents to the Directors via this method and it is the responsibility of the Directors to regularly check their E-Mail in order to keep informed of association activities.

Subject: DIRECTOR ALLOWANCE
Source & Date: Board of Directors, July 14, 2000.

It shall be the policy of the Board of Directors that an allowance of $150 per month will be paid to all members of the Board of Directors. Directors are expected and required to attend the meetings and functions of the Association, and this allowance is designed to cover the cost of attending these meetings and other functions, including meetings of NJAR if a Director serves as an NJAR Director or NJAR Committee Member. Directors are not entitled to receive other reimbursements from SOAR for their participation in NJAR or NAR activities, except for participation as an NAR Director or NAR Committee Member as approved within BCCAR's Financial Policies.

Directors will receive a 1099 at the end of the year for the full amount of the allowance and are responsible for tracking their own expenses related to the allowance for IRS purposes.

Subject: BOARD APPOINTED NAR DIRECTOR
Source & Date: Board of Directors, July 14, 2000.

It shall be the policy of the Board of Directors that the immediate past Chairman of the Board shall serve as the Board's appointed NAR Director. In the event the immediate past Chairman declines to hold the position, a Task Force of Directors shall be appointed to make a recommendation to the Board of Directors to fill the position.

COMMUNICATIONS

Subject: ADVERTISING
Source & Date: Board of Directors, November 25, 1997; Revised January 12, 2001.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Association, after consultation with the Association Attorney, has the authority to approve or disapprove any advertisements for the Association's publications and is charged with the responsibility to act fairly, reasonably and consistently in determining what advertisements will be accepted.

Advertisements which are not deemed in the best interest of the Association may be rejected, and advertisements which are contrary to, in violation of, or inconsistent with the Association's Bylaws, Code of Ethics or mission will be rejected.

Subject: MAILING LIST ACCESS
Source & Date: Board of Directors, November 25, 1997.

The Association will provide a mailing label service for all, or part, of the membership lists to the following on a fee basis:

1. Institutes, Societies, councils and members of Associations of National Association of REALTORS and the New Jersey Association of REALTORS.
2. Colleges, universities, institutions of higher learning, and approved real estate schools.
3. Members of the Burlington Camden County Association of REALTORS®.
4. Requests from non-members.

Mailings must constitute a clear and direct benefit to Association members and not be in conflict with any policy or administrative practice of the Association. Approval of mailings will be granted by the Vice President, Customer Service, or if he/she is not available, the Chief Executive Officer.

The fee for providing the service will be .20 per label, or a minimum of $80.00, whichever is greater. Anyone utilizing this service must provide to the Association a sample of the material to be sent; it is the responsibility of the purchaser to handle the actual mailing.

Labels purchased may not be duplicated or used again for a subsequent mailing and the Association Office will implement and monitor mailings to ensure that future, unpaid services will not occur.

PUBLIC RELATIONS

Subject: NEWS RELEASES & OFFICIAL ASSOCIATION STATEMENTS
Source & Date: Board of Directors, November 25, 1997.

No statement of policy or opinion on behalf of the Association shall be made except through the Chairman or the Chief Executive Officer, unless specifically designated by the Chairman, the Executive Committee or the Board of Directors.

The principal spokesperson to the media on Association policies and programs shall be the Chairman of the Board. In the event the Chairman is unavailable to meet the requirements for media response, the Chief Executive Officer will serve as the spokesperson.

Subject: ASSOCIATION NEWS RELEASES
Source & Date: Board of Directors, November 25, 1997.

Any periodic press releases or requests from the news media for information shall be submitted to the Chief Executive Officer for approval prior to release.

MISCELLANEOUS

Subject: CONTRIBUTIONS TO CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS
Source & Date: Board of Directors, November 25, 1997.

The Association itself will make no donations to, or purchase advertising, for various charitable organizations and fund drives, unless specifically approved by the Board of Directors.

Subject: SMOKE FREE ENVIRONMENT
Source & Date: Board of Directors, November 25, 1997.

The Burlington Camden County Association of REALTORS® offices will be a "smoke-free" environment. There shall be no smoking in the Association offices by employees, tenants, members, customers, clients, etc.

Subject: SIGNS ON ASSOCIATION PROPERTY
Source & Date: Board of Directors, November 25, 1997.

Political signs are not to be posted at the Association offices, however, this does not prohibit "generic, get-the-vote-out", signs from being posted on the Association's property.

Subject: RECORDS RETENTION
Source & Date: Board of Directors, November 25, 1997.

The following shall be the records retention policy of the Association. In the absence of specific mention, the records shall be maintained for a full 3 years prior to the documents generated in the current year.