Ethics Pledge

CIMS Ethics Pledge

As a Certified Property Management Candidate (CPM) and member of the Institute of Real Estate Management, the premier association of Property Managers in the Country, CIMS takes seriously its fiduciary and ethical commitment to our clients.  That commitment is as follows.

Article 1. Loyalty to Client, Firm, and/or Employer

CIMS shall at all times exercise loyalty to the interests of the client and the employer or firm with whom CIMS is affiliated.  CIMS shall be diligent in the maintenance and protection of the interests and property of the employer and of the client.  CIMS shall not engage in any activity that could be reasonably construed as contrary to the interests of the client or employer.  If an activity would result in a conflict between the interests of the firm or employer and the interests of the client, then the interests of the client shall take precedence.

Article 2. Confidentiality

CIMS shall not disclose to a third party any confidential or proprietary information which would be injurious or damaging to a client concerning the client’s business or personal affairs without the client’s prior written consent, unless such disclosure is required or compelled by applicable laws and regulations.

Article 3. Accounting and Reporting

Pursuant to the terms of the management agreement, CIMS shall use reasonable efforts to provide accurate, auditable financial and business records and documentation concerning each asset managed for the client, which records shall be available for inspection at all reasonable times by the client.  CIMS shall furnish to the client, at mutually agreed upon intervals, regular reports concerning the client’s assets under management. CIMS shall not exaggerate, misrepresent, or conceal material facts concerning the client’s assets or any related transaction.

Article 4. Protection of Funds

CIMS shall at all times serve as a fiduciary for the client and shall not commingle personal or company funds with the funds of a client or use one client’s funds for the benefit of another client, but shall keep the client’s funds in a fiduciary account in an insured financial institution or as otherwise directed in writing by the client.  CIMS shall at all times exert due diligence for the maintenance and protection of the client’s funds against all reasonably foreseeable contingencies and losses.

Article 5. Contracts

Any written contract between CIMS and a client shall be in clear and understandable terms, and shall set forth the specific terms agreed upon between the parties, including a general description of the services to be provided by and the responsibilities of CIMS.

Article 6. Conflict of Interest

CIMS shall not represent personal or business interests divergent from or conflicting with those of the client or employer and shall not accept, directly or indirectly, any rebate, fee, commission, discount, or other benefit, monetary or otherwise, which could reasonably be seen as a conflict with the interests of the client, employer or firm, unless the client or employer is first notified in writing of the activity or potential conflict of interest, and consents in writing to such representation.

Article 7. Managing the Assets of the Client

CIMS shall exercise due diligence in the maintenance and management of the client’s assets and shall make all reasonable efforts to protect it against all reasonably foreseeable contingencies and losses.

Article 8.  Duty to Former Clients and Former Firms or Employers

All obligations and duties of CIMS to clients, firms, and employers as specified in this Code shall also apply to relationships with former clients and former firms and employers.  CIMS shall act in a professional manner when, for whatever reason, relationships are terminated between CIMS and a client and firm or employer.  Nothing in this section, however, shall be construed to cause a CIMS to breach obligations and duties to current clients and firm or employer.

Article 9. Compliance with Laws and Regulations

CIMS shall at all times conduct business and personal activities with knowledge of and in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.

Article 10. Equal Opportunity

CIMS shall not deny equal employment opportunity or equal professional services to any person for reasons of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, or handicap and shall comply with all applicable laws and regulations regarding equal opportunity.

Article 11. Duty to Tenants and Others

CIMS shall competently manage the property of the client with due regard for the rights, responsibilities, and benefits of the tenants or residents and others lawfully on the property.  CIMS shall not engage in any conduct that is in conscious disregard for the safety and health of those persons lawfully on the premises of the client’s property