April 28, 2026 | Mark Luis Foster

Welp. In the category of “that didn’t last long” comes news that the new-ish Minnesota HOA Ombudsman, Mr. Joe LeBlanc, is no longer in the chair. Details are sketchy, but we do know that his employment in this position, which was created by law during the 2025 state legislative session and implemented on July 1, only lasted a few short months.

I visited the MN Ombudsman Website and I was greeted with this message:

Because demand for our services currently exceeds our resources, our response to requests for assistance may be delayed. Requests for informal mediation are not being accepted at this time. Please check for updates and browse the resources available on this website.

Not withstanding any official reasons for his demise, my own personal opinion after talking to Joe several times is that he was simply handcuffed by the bureaucracy of state government and couldn’t make much of a move — much less accept any of our invitations to speak at HOALN chapters — without various approvals from inside the government in St. Paul. I actually thought we’d get him in January to speak at one or all chapters; but when that slipped to February, then March, I figured the end was nigh.

If you want to visit the Ombudsman’s website, you can do so HERE. Since the job is open, maybe you should consider applying.