Lawsuit alleges improper spending by former Realtor’s association executive

Three members of the Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors on Tuesday sued the trade association, its board of directors and its immediate past chief executive, Irene Vogel, alleging misappropriation of funds.

Plaintiffs Kevin Child, Honey Borla and Jacqueline Porter are active members of the association and claim that membership dues, which total about $1,700 per member annually, have been misused.

The lawsuit, filed in Clark County District Court, requests that the court order the association to open its audit and employment contracts for inspection by its nearly 11,000 members. Attorney Matthew Callister of Callister & Associates, who along with Mitchell Bisson is representing the three Realtors, said the GLVAR has denied the plaintiffs' requests to see financial records and audits.

The complaint seeks class action status on behalf of the association's current and past members, dating back 10 years. The plaintiffs are also seeking damages in excess of $10,000.

The plaintiffs claim that Vogel, who in April retired from the association after more than 30 years as its leader, improperly distributed funds without approval from the board of directors; paid out unauthorized cash bonuses; selected her husband's insurance agency for the association's insurance needs without bidding out the contract; purchased tables at political and charitable events, unbeknownst to the board of directors, with GLVAR money; allowed pirated DVDs to be sold out of the GLVAR office; and acted as a one-person pawnshop "by brokering membership jewelry sales" on at least one occasion, among a litany of other complaints.

The lawsuit also alleges that the board of directors election process has been tampered with for 5 to 7 years.

"Vogel has consistently refused to provide back-up financial documentation and/or other evidence, and used the (association's) executive committee to harass, verbally abuse and discredit certain board members who did not do her bidding," the lawsuit claims.

Vogel served as head of the GLVAR from 1977 to 1990 and again from 1990 to 2012. The association after a months-long search in February selected Nelson Janes, former head of the Sacramento Association of Realtors, to fill Vogel's seat.

GLVAR President Kolleen Kelley issued a statement in response to the lawsuit: "The Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors is aware of this complaint and is unable to comment on pending legal matters. The GLVAR board of directors is working diligently to assure that the association is operating efficiently and is focused on serving all of its members."

Contact reporter Caitlin McGarry at cmcgarry@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5273.