Does your State Appraiser Board accept anonymous complaints?

[Maverick]

Dear Forum Participants,

The title speaks for itself. I am on the Disciplinary Procedures Committee for the Oklahoma Real Estate Appraiser Board. SB 1158 is a measure expected to be introduced this session allowing anonymous complaints against appraisers. The Oklahoma Appraiser’s Act currently requires all grievances and complaints to identify the complaining party and even testify as co-plaintiff when the grievance passes from the Probable Cause Committee to us in Disciplinary Procedures for Administrative Hearing.

I greatly appreciate if you can identify correctly your State’s procedure if anonymous complaints are accepted or not.

If you have experience, on either side of the issue your comments are welcome. Please be specific and stay on topic as I will be monitoring your input for later presentation to the Board. As a special meeting is to be held January 28th on the question. Again, experience counts here opinions do not! The Board is in unanimous opposition strictly on the basis that anonymous complaints bring forth a plethora of frivolity and waste of resources.

Respectfully,

Maverick

 

[Rice Brewer]

Arkansas accepts them and I have been told that they actually prefer them that way as it takes the personality out of the process so that they can focus on any deficiencies discovered.

From the data I have seen, I do not think that it necessarily increases the number of bogus complaints. However, I do see how that could happen.

 

[KenRossman]

NY will pursue the complaint anonymously but I think you have to identify yourself when submitting it.

 

[USPAP Compliant]

North Carolina has just STOPPED considering anoymous complaints after a new law was passed. The law was passed in retaliation to a woman having her license reoked. Her State Senator wrote a bill and got it passed.

http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/Sessions/2007/Bills/Senate/HTML/S1408v4.html

 

[Wayne Tomlinson]

Illinois accepts anynonymous complaints.

The complainer must include information detailing what the complaint is so that the director can look at it. They are all logged in and reviewed soon

If the complaint is not detaled, he says he does not have time to be a detective and search for the errors etc

I am sure Brian will add to this comment.

Wayne Tomlinson

 

[USPAP Compliant]

Prohibiting annonymous complaints will reduce complaints both vaild and not.

Law enforcement agencies all over this county PAY for tips on illeagal acts. Citizens have always had the right to report a crime. Reduction of complaints will not result in a reduction of improper appraisal work.

This is nothing more than SOME political boards wanting the power to prosectute only those they want to.....with no chance of a paper trail of the complaints.

There are 6 appraisers on the ASC list for NC (disciplinary page) that have either been revoked or surrendered their license that I personaly have SIGNED complaints against. I played no part in the investigations, hearings or surrenders. That is the boards duty, not the complaintant.

I have no problem signing my name to a complaint but many, may appraisers due. The hassle of filing a complaint may not be worth it to some. You may be harrased, blackballed, conspired against, threatened, cussed etc.

I hope to help get the NC statute as seen above repealed next session. It simply takes away the right of honest appraisers to expose the dishonest. One AI member said last week that they had no knowledge of the bill or that it had passed....they do now. They can put up or shut up.

I have two compllaints pending against me right now. First (and only) appraisal complaints in over 20 years. They were both signed, both are from borrowers and both are for "low values". It makes no difference to me if they were signed or not, they have a right to complain if they feel I have done wrong. These complaints will either be valid or they will not. I am not angry over the complaints....both are based on the ignorance of a non-appraiser in what an appraisal is and is not.

There are many places appraisal boards could and should cut expenses.......checking out complaints ain't one of them.

A complaint is either valid or not. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure that out pretty quickly. Most complaints I have seen were not all that complicated....perhaps 5% of them are.

 

[Pamela Crowley (Florida)]

I firmly believe anonymous complaints should be accepted and investigated.

 

[Don Clark]

Virginia

The state of Virginia accepts anonymous complaints. They have no choice. The Appraisal Board is under the direction of The Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation(DPOR). The DPOR has over 50 boards under it's control including the Real Estate Board and the Appraisal Board. It is the policy of DPOR to accept anonymous complaints. You can do so by e-mail, phone call or letter. As far as I know there is no specific format for making a complaint. Once it is received it is sent to the correct board and, if it has merit, it is assigned to an investigator who works for DPOR.

http://www.dpor.virginia.gov/dporweb/dpormainwelcome.cfm

 

[Francois K. Gregoire]

The Florida Real Estate Appraisal Board accepts, investigates and prosecutes anonymous complaints. Over the past eight years several have been before the FREAB and appraisers have been disciplined as a result. In fact, the FREAB prosecuted an anonymous complaint against an appraiser certified in North Carolina, Florida and Tennessee. His Florida Certification was revoked earlier this year.

Some of the complaints are well founded; some are vindictive. The problem with anonymous complaints is the investigators are unable to contact the complainant for additional information and documentation. Rarely is everything included in the complaint.

As others have mentioned, I believe allowing anonymous complaints is beneficial to a regulatory board.

 

[Mike Kennedy]

Appraiser "whistleblower" laws in each state - solves the problem. Often stated on AF, and elsewhere, thousands - if not Millions - of fraudulent, sheerly incompetent, unquestionably skewed appraisal reports demonstrating aggressively enthusiastic ADVOCACY on behalf of clients who BULLSEYE the "magic number" .....land in the shredder, or the trash, or line pet parrot birdcages INSTEAD of landing on Federal and State Regulator and Enforcement Officials' desks. The Core Reason - retribution liability for Ethical Appraisers.



.......INTENTIONAL NEGLIGENCE BY END USERS IN VIOLATION OF FEDERAL LAWS.........GOES UNPUNISHED........... AS THE BAND PLAYS ON ......AND ON............AND ON.

Federal and State Enforcement and Regulatory Officials and Chief Compliance Officers for Lenders - who DO read the AF boards .....consistently from the Shadows .........

WHEN will the "dartboard" be placed on the RIGHT backs. The clock is still ticking....... and "Rome" continues to burn. If you think the "sub-prime" fiasco was "it" - wake up, smell the roses, and publicly acknowledge the SAME PLAYERS USING THE SAME METHODOLGIES have ALREADY infected the PRIME markets.......and weakening of HUD/FHA standards ensures.......exactly the same result. Enough IS Enough. The Time to follow the Lead of AGs in Ohio and New York and the City of Cleveland ............is NOW !