3 surrender community manager certificates to state panel

CARSON CITY — Three individuals doing business in Southern Nevada as Associated Community Management have surrendered their community manager certificates to a state panel that oversees Nevada's homeowners associations.

The Nevada Commission for Common-Interest Communities and Condominium Hotels on Tuesday accepted the certificates of Leslie White, Audra Collins and Ryon Collins after an investigation found numerous violations of state law.

In addition to the surrender of their certificates, the commission also imposed an administrative fine of $35,000 plus $6,000 for the cost of the investigation.

The Real Estate Division of the state Department of Business and Industry presented to the commission a stipulated agreement on behalf of the three accepting the state's allegations that respondents knowingly and willfully violated multiple statutes of state law.

Under the terms of the agreement, White and Audra Collins will forfeit their supervisory community manager certificates for no less than 10 years. Ryon Collins agreed to surrender his community management certificate for no less than five years.

The division's investigation was initiated after a review of the company's annual registration forms filed by White and Audra Collins. The investigation initially set out to determine whether 21 associations managed by the company had board members. But it was expanded in scope after White and Collins failed to answer the division's letter detailing alleged violations and failing to produce documentation as requested.

Upon subpoenaing bank records for 12 associations and the management company in January 2014, and subsequently the bank records of 16 additional associations, the division found hundreds of violations of law.

Violations included committing unprofessional conduct and incompetence by engaging in such activities as applying only one signature on association checks, signing checks for charges that were not approved by the association's boards and receiving payment for fees or charges not specified in a management agreement, among others.

During the course of the investigation, the division also found that in a number of instances, the management company was performing services without a valid management contract in place.

"The division's primary interest in this matter was in ensuring that these individuals would no longer be able to take advantage of homeowner's associations using their licenses as community managers in the state of Nevada," said Real Estate Division Administrator JD Decker. "Their actions outside the law were not only harmful to the associations to which these community managers owed a duty of care, but to the entire industry which is designed to serve the best interest of unit owners. The Real Estate Division will take the appropriate action to protect homeowners and ensure that these bad actors are brought to justice. "

Contact Sean Whaley at swhaley@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3900. Find him on Twitter: @seanw801