8) Charlotte:
Here is why I don't worry about such things. When I send my report, by any method, i am only responsible for what I send, not what someone alters. There has always existed, and I suspect all ways will exist, those who alter appraisals for whatever purpose. When "white out" became available in many different colors, it made it possible to alter a hard copy original. The lack of some security device within adobe pdf is not my concern. That is why i keep an electronic file and a hard copy file on wverything I can do. Nothing, and I mean nothing you or I can do will prevent fraud if one is intent on committing fraud. Back when Virginia required a seal and a signature on a report, the feeling was that the seal would help prevent fraud. however, it never did, and myself and others, through the good politics of our local delegates to the general assembly was able in getting the use of a seal removed from state law(See "How one Appraiser changed the system". December 2000 issue of the Communicator). A student of mine in northern Virginia received a call one day from his partner stating that he should come back to the office as the FBI was looking for him. Thinking it was a practical joke, he took his time. When he got back to the office there was an urgency in his partners voice as he gave hime anumber and the name of an FBI agent. He then called, was told by the agent not to leave his office, and soon thereafter was visited by the agent. The agent had 9 file folders with him. He laid them out on the appraisers desk and said he wished to see the appraisers copy of the enclosed appraisals. The appraiser quickly looked at the addresses, file numbers,etc and told the agent that the files were not his. The agent then pointed out the name of the appraiser(my students name), and the license number(my students license number). The appraiser then explained that although the name and license number was his, he had not done an appraisal on any of the properties, and the signature was not his. Also, he always used a rupper stamp style seal, and there was no seal imprinted on the reports. To make a long story short, a lender had been doing ficticious appraisals on homes where the homeowners had no knowledge, and had not applied for a loan, then completed a fraudulent refinance loan on those properties, closed the loans, and sold the loans to an investor who then notified the authorities when they could not record and secure their investments. The lender went to jail, the appraiser got a good nights sleep. Why :?: Because he had proof that he had never done such a loan. There was a local case where a president of a Bank ordered a restricted appraisal report, short form 704 driveby, then whited out the values and put in what he wanted, and made a loan on his own property. Not, I repeat, not the appraisers fault. I could care less if someone manipulates my signature, figures, facts, etc as long as I can prove by file hard copy that I did not do such a report.
BTW, The Roanoke region is slowly but surely taking over many areas on the east coast. Coming up soon will be Kentucky, maryland, DC, etc. THEY have no concerns about the electronic PDF files and requires no such statements as the one that started this thread.
So Charlotte....go out and make lot's of money and leave all the worrying about unsecure files to those who have nothing better to do than worry about them. :twisted:
Don
