Can I call owner on an exterior drive by?

[Fernando]

As long as you didn't break any laws nor ignore any assignment conditions then good for you.

They don't pay me enough to break the law.

 

[Fernando]

Looking at the old report, I did notice something astonishing.
This appraiser paid almost $1,400 for $1 million E&O coverage from Lloyds. That's f* crazy!

 

[Tom4value]

When I talked to the rep, I wanted to know why they gave me the owner phone number if they didn't want me to call them.
Rep couldn't give me an answer and was confused too. Fine, I won't call since I got an old appraisal.

Ha! So it was the rep who screwed up and gave you the contact info inadvertently.
Just so happens, I did the same assignment today. Just as I got there, I saw a car ahead of me stopped in the street in front of the property. Took off as I got there. Wondering, did they order two appraisals? Was hoping the owner didn’t see him and then me show up!

Did a same assignment about 10 years ago. When I stopped, I didn’t see the owner smoking a cigarette on the porch. She came out and confronted me in the middle of the street in front of my car! I made up a BS story that I was looking for an address and she didn’t buy it. She knew why I was there and got confrontational, threatening to call the cops. Told her I was way ahead of her, calling the cops on her! Point is, on these assignments, you don’t want the owner involved in any way.

 

[Dublin ohio]

They don't pay me enough to break the law.

Except you have said you will drive up the driveway when a comp is on a flag lot. They must have paid you enough on that one to break the law

 

[Fernando]

Except you have said you will drive up the driveway when a comp is on a flag lot. They must have paid you enough on that one to break the law

Flag lots have long driveways. My excuse will be that I got confused and went onto wrong "road". You can vouch for me in that I can get confuse.

 

[Fernando]

Ha! So it was the rep who screwed up and gave you the contact info inadvertently.
Just so happens, I did the same assignment today. Just as I got there, I saw a car ahead of me stopped in the street in front of the property. Took off as I got there. Wondering, did they order two appraisals? Was hoping the owner didn’t see him and then me show up!

Did a same assignment about 10 years ago. When I stopped, I didn’t see the owner smoking a cigarette on the porch. She came out and confronted me in the middle of the street in front of my car! I made up a BS story that I was looking for an address and she didn’t buy it. She knew why I was there and got confrontational, threatening to call the cops. Told her I was way ahead of her, calling the cops on her! Point is, on these assignments, you don’t want the owner involved in any way.

So when I saw the house, I saw lot of notices hanging on the door. Was it a mailman or UPS posting a notice? I was curious to go up and read all the notices.
Then again this is an exterior and lender doesn't pay me enough to get into the porch. Maybe I should get super zoom cameras or binoculars to read the words on the door.

 

[Sandra Koutsopoulos]

Nando--with all those binoculars and super zoom camera, you could be zooming yourself into a 'peeping-Tom' charge. Reading the notices given to the owner's property doesn't clarify the exterior condition you were sent there to observe, legally, from the street.

Actually, about 15 years ago I was driving my comps, and some crabby old lady called the police and I was accosted, as she said I was on her property taking photos of her (from my car, duh!). Some ppl just don't have a life...and they can lie somebody into police custody!

 

[Surf Cat]

Do not call anyone, drive by the subject but take a picture of the next door neighbor's house, put the wrong Flood information in there.... state that you couldn't see the sign because it was a drive-by, use three, very dissimilar comps, average them for a value.

Now..... sit back and wait for the full assignment to come in!

 

[Bobby Bucks]

I did some drive-by appraisals for the FBI years ago. They sure as hell didn't want me contacting the owner and I'd be willing to bet I would have never held a professional license of any sort again had I done so.

I’ve never done one for J. Edgar’s boys, but have performed quite a few for the US Marshal’s Service. The LOE was always very clear about no contact. Another part was the photo comments, as I recall it could be a partial photo, blurry or taken on zoom from a distance or not all. ie. The mfer was not a Boy Scout. Of course I should probably have done like some have suggested and called the borrower and said “Hello Mr. Escabar, I’m appraising your house for the bank before they take it away from you. Have you remodeled the kitchen? Oh and by the way is Pablo your brother?”

 

[Zoe]

So when I saw the house, I saw lot of notices hanging on the door. Was it a mailman or UPS posting a notice? I was curious to go up and read all the notices.
Then again this is an exterior and lender doesn't pay me enough to get into the porch. Maybe I should get super zoom cameras or binoculars to read the words on the door.

That sounds like it may be vacant if nobody has taken the notices down. Maybe from code, the company that secured the home, etc. Don't worry about it. You may want to call your lender back and see if they can give you a key and access if they already own the house.