To sign or not to sign?

[Gary Leduc]

Hello again,
Quick question... I have been with my mentor now for three weeks.
He has been with me on every appraisal and will do so until I get licensed.
Should my name go on the appraisal report as someone who assisted in the appraisal or should I sign it with my mentors signature in the supervisory box?
Right now I am not mentioned at all on the reports I have worked on.
Gary

 

[John M. Parker]

In our office, I sign every report because I'm the only one licensed but in the additional comments section my apprentice types. Harry Smith assisted significantly in the preparation of this report including inspection, data collection and analysis.

 

[Judy Whitehead (Florida)]

In Florida, you get a "trainee" or assistant license first after completing a 75 hour course and passing the course exam. At that point, you can sign the report with a supervisory appraiser signing on the other side. You didn't mention if you have a "beginners" license yet. If you are licensed, then your signature needs to be on the report, I would think in order for you to have your experience logged and verified. I don't know how Georgia counts it.

I have always been told that anyone, licensed or not, needs to be mentioned in the addendum if they have contributed to the report. Although this is open to question, many offices have secretaries and other clerical help who do clerical things like pull plats, type, file, etc. In that case they don't need to be mentioned. If you are actually "contributing" to the appraisal other than holding the end of the tape and typing, I would think that needs to be mentioned, but it is probably up to your mentor.

 

[larryhaskell]

This post is based on the fact that you are a licensed intern or trainee. Whether you sign or not primarily depends on the lender. Some don't want a signature from an intern/trainee. If they don't want your signature then your supervisor should sign the report indicating you made a significant contribution to the report. Whether or not your supervisor allows you to sign is a separate issue. You should always keep a personal log of the reports you work on. If your supervisor refuses to allow you to sign when permitted by the lender or does not mention you by name when you make a significant contribution, then you need to have a serious heart to heart talk with this person. At all times, protect yourself.

 

[Steve Owen]

Gary, read AO-5, page 132 of 2002 USPAP.

Standards Rules 2-3 and 8-3 require each appraiser signing a report to state whether or not he or she inspected the subject property and whether anyone not signing the report provided significant professional assistance. This mandatory disclosure informs and protects the client and other users of the appraisal.

Whether you need to be mentioned as having worked on the report depends mostly on what you are doing. If you are providing secretarial assistance, then I believe you do not have to be mentioned. However, if you are providing professional assistance, things like measuring the property, choosing comps, doing the cost approach, making adjustments in the sales approach, etc., then it is a USPAP requirement that this must be spelled out in the appraisal.

I use the following language for my assistant (who does not sign reports yet):

COMMENT ON WORK DONE BY ASSISTANT:

??? provided substantial assistance in the preparation of this report. Specifically, she/he helped inspect the subject, assisted with measuring, drawing and determining size of the subject, filled-out portions of the appraisal form, aided in selection of comps and performed preliminary adjustments to make comps equal to the subject, and assisted with final reconciliation. The appraiser closely supervised the assistant in each step of the appraisal process and further certifies that he/she was not allowed to perform any tasks except for those for which he/she has demonstrated competency.

In Missouri, you cannot count hours worked on appraisals towards meeting your pre-license requirements unless you are so mentioned. In other words, the MREAC does not give appraisal credit for secretarial work.

Now, a word about signing. Different clients are different about this. When I first started signing reports, I signed the left and my mentor signed the right side. However, some clients objected to this, so we changed. I signed the left and my mentor also signed the left (we squished our signatures together within the alloted space). At the time, no one objected to this practice, but I'm not sure it would be the same now. Also, I can't think of any practical way to do this for a report sent by e-mail with a digital signature; maybe someone else who does this will post it here.

 

[Gary Leduc]

To clarify what I do in assisting the preparation of the reports...
I help inspect the subject and either draw or measure, help select
comps and take photos if needed.
At the office, I will begin compiling info, draw subjects dwelling,
work on the cost approach using M&S book, compile the comps,
verify where needed, put info in the sales comparison section,
adjust addendums in relation to the subject and make a final reconcilliation.
My mentor will review the reports, note corrections that need
adjusting and them I readjust as needed.
He will again review and sign off as needed.
Thanks for your input.
Gary
P.S. I have 90 hours of school with a State of Georgia registration
number and have 14 hours of continuing ed. also.
I have a State form to log all of my appraisal time and have to
log 2000 hours before taking a test for my license.

 

[Restrain]

Honestly, it will depend on your state licensing rules and the client. In Texas, a trainee can sign a report, but they have to be shown as a trainee and the licensed appraiser also signs the report as the appraiser. Some clients do not want a trainee signing the report, so you may be shown as "contributing significantly to the report" with your licensed appraiser signing the report by himself/herself.

Until you are a licensed appraiser, whether or not you sign the report is going to be somewhat dependent on the above as well as the decisions of your mentor.

Good luck in the profession.
Roger Strahan, SRA

 

[Mountain Man]

Pretty much either way, you can sign or just list your contributions to the appraisal. Depends on the client......like was noted above: "some clients do not want a trainee signing the report, so you may be shown as "contributing significantly to the report" with your licensed appraiser signing the report by himself/herself."

I have a FEW clients that do not allow trainees. But most are fine with trainees as long the supervising appraiser inspected the subject. So the answer is ..... it depends. But yes, as a Registered Appraiser, you can sign.