November 19, 2025 | Mark Luis Foster
One of the few pieces of HOA reform legislation passed this year by the Minnesota Legislature was the HOA Ombudsperson Office, a new function that is part of the Minnesota Department of Commerce. The legislation became law on July 1 — and we’re happy to announce that the position has been filled!
The new “Mr. O” is Joe LeBlanc, and his photo is attached. Joe and I have had several phone conversations about his new role, and he’s busily working within the confines of state government to set up his office and get ready to take it on. We’ll have more from Joe and his plans in the coming weeks, and we of course hope to feature him at future live chapter meetings of the HOA Leadership Network.
If you don’t know much about this new law or office, we’ve included some refresher information below. The Ombudsman will be primarily an educational and mediation role for associations and its residents on rights, responsibilities and disputes. So Joe will also be monitoring these issues — and it’s thought that the collected data will at some point be compiled and analyzed to help discern homeowner association dispute/resolution patterns that permeate the Land of 10,000 HOAs (well, about 8,000 of them anyways).
Welcome, Joe, to your new role.
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About the MN Ombudsperson
The Common Interest Community Ombudsperson is established under Minnesota Statutes, section 45.0137. This law creates the position within the Minnesota Department of Commerce to:
- Assist unit owners, tenants, and associations in understanding their rights and responsibilities under Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 515B (the Minnesota Common Interest Ownership Act) and their governing documents.
- Facilitate informal resolution of disputes between unit owners and associations.
Services Provided
The Ombudsperson offers education, guidance, and informal dispute resolution for those involved in common interest communities (CICs) such as condominiums, townhomes, and cooperatives.
Services include:
- Education and Guidance
Helping residents, associations, and property managers understand their rights and obligations under state law and governing documents. - Information and Referrals
Connecting individuals with resources on dispute resolution, governing documents, and applicable laws. - Public Information Website
Providing easy access to:- Links to statutes and rules affecting CICs
- Plain-language explanations of HOA and CIC rules
- Details on Ombudsperson services and contact information
- Mediation and conflict resolution resources
- Helpful homeowner and association links
- Informal Mediation
Offering voluntary assistance to help unit owners, tenants, and associations resolve disagreements outside of formal legal channels. - Complaint Tracking
Reviewing and analyzing complaints to identify patterns or recurring issues within Minnesota’s CICs. - Legislative Reporting
Providing reports and recommendations to the Legislature on trends and potential improvements to common interest community laws.
