homeowner is calling me

[friendbrook]

Recently did an appraisal for LO and now I am getting phone calls from the homeowners of this appraisal about how low, low, low the value is, and that they have some information I forgot. One being some land sold close by and bought by the state for hunting, etc. (I later looked for this land sold, nothing, I haven't checked with assessor's office yet- just out of curiosity). This was not exposed to the market by MLS. My question is? being they were not the intended users (USPAP) of this assignment, how do you deal with phone calls of this type?? Input please.

 

[Obsolescent]

You can 1) explain you were hired by someone else, so the homeowner is not the client and consequently, you are not allowed to discuss the appraisal with them. 2) you can ignore them. 3) explain No. 1 but tell them you'd be happy to look at info they provide to the client who can, at their discretion, pass that on to you.

 

[stefan olafson]

Next time they contact you inform them they are not your client and you are not allowed to discuss anything with them concerning any appraisal. Tell them if there are concerns they should share them with their client, the lender and the lender may or may not forward them to you.

I just matter of factly inform the homeowners, during the inspection, of who my client is, even in the instances where the homeowner pays me at the door, the client is the one who contracts for my services and that's who will be provided with my appraisal. I tell them if there are any questions after I complete my appraisal, they have to go through my client.

It's that simple...

 

[William K]

Here is an example of what I have used when appraisal is ordered for lending purposes...

"I'm sorry but you are not my client and I can not discuss the appraisal in question with anyone other than my client under licensing laws / regulations, to do so could violate my fiduciary relationship with my client (client-the lender not the LO) "

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

LOs are more than happy to sic homeowners onto appraisers. I tend to try and deflect the questions and insist that they need to take those issues up with the lender, not me.

 

[Carnivore]

I tell them the LAW does not allow me to tell them or discuss with them anything about the appraisal. I even tell them about how I can not give them a copy.

Then I explain that if the lender give me permission IN WRITING, then and only then can I talk with them.

I say "Please dont ask me to break the LAW. I dont make the rules, the gubermint does."

Takes the heat off most of the time. I dont use big words with anyone.

 

[friendbrook]

Thanks for the input, going to generate a letter (I do everything in writing when possible) to the homeowner explaining the situation and take it from there. I knew all this applied, just needed some re-enforcement on the subject and of course different approaches to dealing with this.

 

[Mary Tiernan]

I would contact my client and ask them to contact the homeowner - explaining to the client what and who your responsibilities are to under the laws and ask them to relay the point to the homeowner. Tell the client you would be happy to review any information sent to you by the client, perhaps they need to contact borrower to find out what sales data they might have?

 

[Lobo Fan]

When borrowers start talking value, I explain to them the process for a value reconsideration. Like take data you consider relevant and give it to the lender, who will then pass the data along to me. Some people just don't understand. I had one guy threaten to hit me when I told him he had to go through the lender to get a copy.

 

[rescom]

After all your responses, the homeowner then says, "but I paid for it, so it is my appraisal". I just let them know that they basically paid for the clients appraisal and that the fee they paid entitles them to a copy of it. Or something like that.

I bring this up because, in my experience, the conversation about not being able to discuss the appraisal with them always leads to this payment discussion after they claim the appraisal is theirs.