This is a guest article by Tom Barber, Ontario's New Home Ombuds.
The second Thursday of October is internationally recognized as Ombuds Day. I’ve been working in the ombuds field for close to 20 years. When I speak to people about my work, the most common question I get is: What is an ombuds anyway? So, in recognition of Ombuds Day, let’s take some time to learn about the history of the ombuds and about the New Home Ombuds.
An Origin Story
Sweden created the first parliamentary ombuds in 1809. The autocratic King Gustaf III had been deposed and a new government was formed. Along with a new Constitution, a Parliamentary Ombudsman was created to monitor the compliance of public authorities with the law. This Ombudsman was independent of the government and had the power to make inquiries into citizen complaints. Essentially, the Ombudsman’s role was to ensure the new government was administered in a way that was fair to its citizens.
The New Home Ombuds
Fast forward to 2008: The New Home Ombuds office is established to investigate complaints about Tarion and to act as a source of information for homeowners about Ontario’s new home warranty program. Although the role of the ombuds has changed and evolved since 1809, the core principles of independence, impartiality and fairness remain.
Independence
The New Home Ombuds office operates independently of Tarion’s management. We have our own office and maintain our own website. The Ombudsperson reports directly to Tarion’s Board of Directors and has an administrative reporting relationship with the Board’s Stakeholder Committee. If we identify systemic shortcomings, we make recommendations for improvements and monitor their implementation.
Impartiality
We do not take sides in a complaint. We objectively assess the information we receive in order to identify and address fairness concerns. Our impartiality gives us the credibility to address concerns in a manner that upholds the principles of fairness.
Fairness
To determine fairness, our office views Tarion’s actions through the lens of procedural, relational and substantive fairness. Procedural fairness is about how the decision was made; relational fairness is about how someone is treated; and substantive fairness addresses the decision itself.
How we can help
We can review complaints about delay, communication and Tarion’s decision-making process. With your consent we will contact Tarion to gather information about any fairness issues identified. If our review finds that Tarion has treated you unfairly, we can make recommendations to address the issue(s).
It is important that you contact us while you are experiencing the issue. We generally only review issues that are current and may not be able to assist with past issues.
Systemic issues
The review of an individual complaint might raise concerns about a systemic issue that requires further investigation. We can consider whether Tarion’s processes need to change. If we find that there are fairness issues, we will recommend remedies that will address the systemic issue and result in fair outcomes for all homeowners.
So, if you believe there have been problems with how Tarion handled your file, please contact us at 1-877-880-3828 or ombuds@newhomeombuds.ca.
And have a happy Ombuds Day!