Bill > HF856

This bill establishes a Common Interest Community Ombudsperson within the Minnesota Department of Commerce to help resolve disputes between unit owners and homeowners associations (referred to as "associations"). The ombudsperson, who will be appointed by the governor and serve in an unclassified position, must be impartial and cannot be a unit owner or affiliated with an association or management company. The ombudsperson's primary duties include advocating for unit owners, compiling complaints, providing dispute resolution services, and helping unit owners understand their rights and responsibilities under Minnesota's common interest community laws. The office will maintain a website with relevant information and can provide reports to legislative committees. The ombudsperson has limited powers, including the ability to view community premises but cannot render legal opinions or issue formal orders about disputes. Data collected by the office will be considered private and can only be released with individual consent or a court order. The bill includes a funding appropriation to establish and maintain the Office of the Common Interest Community Ombudsperson, with an effective date of July 1, 2025, for the ombudsperson position and the day after final enactment for the appropriation.

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https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=House&f=HF0856&ssn=0&y=2025