President of auctioneers body resigns amid claims CEO sought to ‘suppress’ him

A bitter row in the professional body for auctioneers has burst into the open after the president resigned, saying he was refused access to financial records and frozen out from key decisions.

The Institute of Professional Auctioneers and Valuers (IPAV) replied by saying it recently upheld a complaint against the now former president, Co Galway auctioneer Gerry Coffey, that was made by the chief executive, Pat Davitt.

Mr Coffey stepped down on Friday evening, saying Mr Davitt set out to “frustrate and suppress” him. “I was constantly met with resistance and criticism from certain council (board) members,” he said in a letter to the 19 other members of IPAV’s governing council.

The institute, which represents 1,500 auctioneers, promotes professional standards for estate agents and property valuers.

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Mr Coffey has alleged the group failed to eliminate unspecified “conflicts of interest” despite adopting a new corporate governance structure. He also alleged detailed concerns he set out about IPAV governance were neither acted on nor investigated.

However, the IPAV insisted it worked to highest corporate governance standards and said the issues raised by Mr Coffey “were heard, considered, and dismissed at council meetings”.

His departure comes seven weeks after Co Louth auctioneer Joanne Lavelle stood down from her role as senior vice-president, saying she had no wish to become the next president and that IPAV governance structures lacked cohesion and accountability.

In a statement on Sunday, the IPAV said it received Mr Coffey’s resignation with regret. “Unfortunately, the institute now finds itself in the reluctant position of having to state publicly that this resignation comes in the wake of IPAV’s national council (board) recently unanimously upholding a complaint against him, made by the CEO in his capacity as an employee.”

The IPAV spokeswoman declined to set out the nature of the complaint.

Still, Mr Coffey said the issue centred on allegations he slammed his hand on a table at a board meeting. “The so-called investigation was a sham at the behest of the CEO and designed to humiliate and disparage me as I was not a yes-man. For that reason I did not engage in the investigation.”

There was no immediate comment from IPAV’s spokeswoman on Mr Coffey’s assertions about the investigation.

Neither was there any personal comment from Mr Davitt in response to Mr Coffey’s letter. “I don’t want to comment any more than what will be in the IPAV statement,” said Mr Davitt, a Co Westmeath auctioneer who has been involved at high levels in the body since the 1980s.

Mr Coffey’s letter said he had presented views on “some unethical practices” that he could not ignore, but to no avail. He also said he was unable to fulfil his ambition of promoting rural agents because he asked “important questions” and tried to hold decision-makers to account.

Noting the IPAV president was required to make human resources and financial decisions, Mr Coffey said he was “persistently denied” access to records such as the chief executive’s contract, management accounts and the breakdown of expenses for year-end accounts.

Mr Coffey also alleged one unnamed individual had “far too much influence” on the outcome of elections to the IPAV’s governing council. In addition, he had personal experience of “very questionable practice” in the conduct of such elections and elections for the presidential team.

“Given the concerns raised and my desire for transparency I as president was no longer involved or consulted in IPAV decisions, no longer invited to represent the institute at public events at home or abroad as my predecessors had, was no longer consulted around finances and so much more,” Mr Coffey said.

The IPAV said it operated with the highest standards of transparency, accountability and ethical integrity.

“Across disciplines such as governance, financial management, HR and elsewhere we engage independent professionals with relevant expertise.

“In this regard it is regrettable that the President is the sole member among the national council (board) yet to sign our code of conduct on corporate governance which was drawn up with the assistance of independent expert professionals.”

Mr Coffey said: “The code of conduct was presented to me in recent weeks and was another attempt to silence me. I was not the only one to not sign it.”

In his resignation letter, Mr Coffey said he tried to settle issues from the outset but believed his representations prompted an “orchestrated campaign to damage my good name and reputation and to embarrass and humiliate me in front of my peers.”