Claims Evaluation- Part II

By Phillip C. Querin

[PCQ Note: This is the second in a two-part series in managing risk. In the first article I discussed managing risk “from the top down,” i.e. identification of what aspects of real estate brokerage practice needs the greatest attention, and proper evaluation and treatment of customer complaints before a claim becomes a crisis.]

Where Do Claims Originate? Claims come from three different sources: (1) The customer, (2) the customer’s lawyer, and (3) the Oregon Real Estate Agency.

Claims By the Clients Themselves. If the client is presenting the claim on their own behalf, the real estate company is in the best position to have direct control over managing that risk. In fact, this may be the one and only time a principal broker has actual control over the outcome of the claim.¹ Here are some tips:

• What does the company’s E&O insurance policy say? What type of threshold does it set for reporting claims?
• Is this the type of claim that needs to be reported?
• What is your brokerage’s claims history? Is the claim worth reporting if it can safely be settled within the deductible limits? Remember that if it cannot be settled but is belatedly reported, it could result in a denial of coverage – be sure to know where that point is. If the claim has a risk of high damages if not settled, would it be wiser to get it to the carrier at the outset?
• Is the claim primarily one for monetary damages – or is it based upon ethical or fiduciary duty issues which could likely result in another complaint to the Oregon Real Estate Agency or the local board of Realtors®? Claims that can be filed at multiple jurisdictional levels frequently are, just to add value and pressure to the dollar claim.
• Can the claim be resolved in ways other than the payment of a large sum of money? For example, consider asking the disgruntled client what solutions they have in mind.² If the complaint involves an alleged nondisclosure of a defect, can the item be replaced or repaired with a minimum of expense?
• Make sure the ground rules for settlement discussions are clearly established – i.e. that nothing said in the discussions can be used as evidence should the case not be settled. If need be treat it as settlement discussions and submit a short written agreement to that affect before starting the negotiations. Make sure to include a statement that this process shall not be deemed to be in lieu of the local board mediation process required in the statewide Sale Agreement form published by OREF. Clearly, if the case cannot be
• settled informally, the insurance company will almost certainly have to be notified.
• Never, never, never, settle a case without making sure that it includes a complete release of all liability, i.e. a “global settlement.”
• Make sure that any written settlement includes the following: (1) a promise that the complainant will not file anything with the Oregon Real Estate Agency, the brokerage’s local board of Realtors®, or any other private or public agency; (2) a confidentiality clause prohibiting any discussion with third parties about the case unless compelled to do so by subpoena or other court order; and (3) a clause prohibiting the complainant from disparaging the brokerage, its agents or employees to any third parties.

Claims By Attorneys. If the claim is presented in the form of a demand letter from the customer’s attorney the ante’ will probably go up exponentially. It is at this point that the principal broker begins to lose control over the outcome of the case. The attorney has counseled his or her client about the “value” of the case (correctly or incorrectly), and now the client has a higher (and perhaps different) level of expectation about the outcome of their claim. Here are some tips in evaluating the claim once an attorney is involved:

• Get your own attorney – don’t allow yourself to engage in a one-on-one dialogue regarding the merits of the case with the attorney. Your statement are not protected under any legal privilege, and your words could come back to haunt you.
• Find out as much as possible about opposing counsel. How much experience do they have in litigation in general and real estate litigation in particular.
• If the claim is small, talk to your attorney about making a formal offer of compromise (also known as an offer of settlement) at the earliest possible time. If the claim has already been filed in court or arbitration it is known as an “offer of judgment” and if done correctly it may cut off the other side’s right to recover prevailing attorney fees.
• Try to get the case into mandatory mediation at the earliest possible time. Make sure the mediator is well versed in all of the facts ahead of time – the good, the bad and the ugly.
• Statements, either written or oral, can be designated as “confidential” and do not have to be shared with the other side or their attorney.
• Don’t sugar coat your case to the mediator, since he or she is in the best position to render an objective evaluation only with complete knowledge of the facts.
• Don’t play games in mediation, e.g. attending only to use it as a discovery tool on the road to arbitration – rather than a engaging in good faith settlement talks designed to end the matter once and for all. Make a genuine effort to resolve the dispute.
• Remember that each side wants to walk away with some dignity. Don’t insist upon taking positions that make it impossible for the other side to agree. Focus on the solution, not fault and finger-pointing.
• If the other side is taking an unreasonable position and significant dollars are at stake, ask that the mediator become more “evaluative” by focusing on the legal difficulties of that unreasonable position – as opposed to letting the process be only “facilitative,” i.e. with the mediator shuttling back and forth simply trying to get the parties to “split the difference.”
• Make sure you fully understand your legal defense. Discuss with your attorney his/her evaluation of the case. What are the strengths and weaknesses? Is there a chance that an arbitrator would conclude that the agent actually did fail to meet applicable industry
• standards? What type of witness will the agent(s) make? Are there principal brokers in other companies who would testify that applicable industry standard of care was met? ³
• Don’t walk over dollars to pick up pennies. If the case can be resolved by the payment of a few dollars more – even if seemingly unwarranted – consider doing so just to get the case resolved. Standing on principal is fine, but if there is significant legal exposure and the other side may likely prevail, although for less money, there will be awarded prevailing attorney fees. Sometimes these fees can meet or exceed the amount in issue. The payment of a little extra money now will buy peace, which is a commodity that rarely occurs after litigation is commenced.

Claims to the Oregon Real Estate Agency. Remember that claims to the Oregon Real Estate Agency sometimes can also become civil claims in court or arbitration. Unfortunately, sometimes claims get filed simultaneously, both with the Agency and in court or arbitration. Here are some tips in dealing with the Agency.

• Dealing with a claim brought through the Agency is not the same as with dealing with a disgruntled client or their attorney. If the Agency suspects that an agent violated applicable licensing laws, it can be virtually impossible to resolve by a simple monetary settlement with the consumer. While settlement with the consumer may be taken into consideration in mitigation of any licensing sanction, settlement on the civil side will not necessarily make the Agency claim disappear.
• On the other hand, if the basis of the Agency claim is primarily monetary (e.g. the claimant alleges that their agent negligently failed to represent them) reaching some sort of financial accommodation with the complainant directly, can be very useful in reducing any possible sanction. It can also be useful if, as pointed out above, a written settlement is reached which releases the agent from any further civil liability. The Agency has less incentive to pursue a claim if the client says they are satisfied with the monetary resolution and are not interested in pursuing the matter through them.
• If the claim appears to the principal broker to be a serious one, Agency investigative interviews should be carefully handled. Make sure the transactional file is thoroughly reviewed and complete. Make sure the agent’s personal file does not contain documents that should be in the broker’s transactional file. Thoroughly debrief the agent before any interview. Make sure that you have read the complaint thoroughly and understand exactly what the customer is complaining about. Don’t allow the agent to be interviewed outside the presence of the principal broker and/or an attorney.⁴
• Make sure that you’ve obtained the entire file from the Agency before the interview. In many cases, the investigator has already accumulated a substantial amount of
• information so it’s always good to know, in advance, what documents and information the Agency has in its possession.⁵
• You do not have to agree that an investigative interview be tape recorded. There are advantages and disadvantages of doing so. You should consult with your lawyer to evaluate the cost/benefit. Make sure your attorney has gone through this process before.
• Some investigators are easier to deal with than others. Try not to get on the wrong side of them. It’s like arguing with a traffic cop before he/she gives you the citation.
• Know the weaknesses in the Agency’s case. Remember, the Agency doesn’t like to lose either. They will be less likely to seek a serious sanction if they know it exceeds the likely result handed down by an administrative law judge should the matter becomes a contested case. If the complainant is a poor witness, has been caught in lies, has a criminal record (it happens!), is a present or former licensee themselves, perhaps with an Agency record (it also happens!), this is useful information to have. Occasionally, it is possible to unearth information that the Agency itself does not yet have.

Conclusion

Litigation or arbitration can sometimes take on a life of its own. It is rarely worth the cost and should be used only as a last resort. Principal brokers can do much to stem the tide of litigation by – first and foremost – training their agents to recognize where the land mines are buried. If a particular agent continues to ignore company policy after being properly counseled, he/she should be let go. Principal broker supervision should be real, substantive, and continuous. While none of these precautions can prevent customers from becoming dissatisfied, they can help reduce the risk of dissatisfaction ripening into a catastrophic claim.

© 2010 QUERIN LAW, LLC