An Appeal to the Board of Managers (BOM) is the final step in the violation review process. This appeal allows the Broker of Record to request a higher-level review of a decision made during a Rules Violation Hearing.
The Board of Managers reviews the outcome of the hearing and determines whether the decision should be waived, reduced, or denied.
When an Appeal May Be Requested
An appeal to the Board of Managers may be requested when:
A Rules Violation Hearing has been completed, and
The Rules & Procedures Committee upheld the fine (status: Rules & Procedures Committee Denied) or reduced it (status: Reduced), and
The Broker of Record must submit a written appeal and pay the $500 administrative fee in Keystone within 10 days of the hearing decision.
Only the Broker of Record can request an appeal. Agents and Office Managers cannot request an appeal.
Appeal Timeline
The Broker of Record has 10 days from the date of the hearing decision to submit both the written appeal and the administrative fee payment.
- The appeal is submitted only when payment succeeds.
- If the broker writers an appeal but does not pay, the dispute status changes to Board Appeal Fee Required. The 10-day deadline still applies.
If no appeal and payment are submitted within this time frame:
- The violation becomes final
- The associated invoice remains due (payable within 30 days)
Appeal Requirements
- Written appeal: A minimum of 200 characters is required
- Grounds: Arguments are limited to the grounds raised in the original dispute. New arguments cannot be introduced.
- Administrative fee: A $500 fee is required (see below)
- Attendance: The Broker of Record is required at the appeal to the Board of Managers.
$500 Administrative Fee
- The fee is paid through a secure payment page after the Broker of Record enters their written appeal.
- The administrative fee is charged in addition to the fine amount. It is not deducted from the fine.
- If the Board of Managers finds the violation stands (upheld or reduced), the fee is not refunded.
- If the Board of Managers finds there was no violation and waives the fine, the fee is credited back to the original payment method.
How to Appeal to the Board of Managers in Keystone
Log into Keystone through the Matrix Dashboard.
In the left-hand navigation panel, select Compliance.
Click View All Violations.
Locate the violation you would like to dispute.
Click the name of the violation to open the violation details.
Select Request Appeal.
In the Written Appeal box, state the grounds for your appeal (minimum 200 characters).
After payment succeeds, the appeal is submitted and the dispute status changes to Board Review Requested. You can follow the status from the notification bell or the Notifications page in Keystone.
Possible Outcomes
After the appeal request is submitted and reviewed by the Board of Managers, one of the following decisions will be issued:
Violation Upheld (Denied)
The original decision stands
A new invoice is issued for the original fine amount (payable within 30 days)
The $500 administrative fee is not refunded
The violation is final
Violation Reduced
If the Rules & Procedures Committee has already reduced the fine, the Board of Managers can uphold that reduced amount, reduce it further, or rescind the fine entirely
A new invoice is issued with the updated amount (payable within 30 days)
The $500 administrative fee is not refunded.
The violation is final
Violation Waived (Accepted)
The violation is removed
Any associated fine is waived
The dispute status is updated to Approved
The $500 administrative fee is credited back to the original payment method
Final Determination
The decision made by the Board of Managers is final. No further appeals are available after this stage.