What does it Mean to Protect the Public Trust

[chad hampton]

USPAP puts out about 50 new advisory opinions every two years. by their own admission it’s not too clear a document.

Be the equivalent of me having to issue 100 revision requests for one of my appraisals then claiming how well written it was

 

[djd09]

USPAP puts out about 50 new advisory opinions every two years. by their own admission it’s not too clear a document.

and the States do not publish that rubbish...why...because it is useless

 

[gregb]

USPAP puts out about 50 new advisory opinions every two years. by their own admission it’s not too clear a document.

How else are the appraisers lacking college level education going to make sense of the USPAP?

 

[George Hatch]

USPAP has been been in print since 1986. They started adding AOs and SMTs in 1990/1991, just ahead of licensing. The most recent AO added was AO-38. That includes a couple of AOs that started out as Statements on Standards, all of those being retired some years back.

The reason AOs aren't part of USPAP itself is because none of them apply universally across all situations addressed in the applicable sections of USPAP itself. They're suggested solutions for specific problems. Nor do they break any new ground or add any new requirements that aren't already addressed in USPAP itself. I'm not aware of any state's regs that include a reference to AOs or FAQs being included among the minimum requirements for appraisal practice. I am also not aware of any references from the states citing an AO as the basis for their discipline. There might be some out there but I've never seen it yet.

Matter of fact, the reason given for retiring the last of the remaining SMTs (there were 10 of them) from USPAP is precisely because they weren't universally applicable to those sections of USPAP. That's why the material that's left was diverted to the AOs.

The 1996 edition of USPAP ended on pg 84. The 2023 edition of USPAP ends on pg 58. It is what it is. In the print editions, pages 1-58 are USPAP. Pages 59-354 are Not-The-USPAP.

If you actually understand USPAP (and if you understand your assignments) then very little that comes out of an AO will come as a surprise to you because they're all derivative in nature; not "new" material. In them, the ASB is basically showing their work, including the "why" of what they did . Same with the FAQs.

 

[chad hampton]

Put me and 4 other posters here of my choosing and we’ll come up with a cleaner document over a weekend. Ours might even focus on public trust, who knows?

Maybe TAF can fly us out to Vegas so we can pretend to be important and make it official.

The key to making a document that focuses on public trust and is respected is to be truly independent, and not serve any other masters. Appraisal organizations have been found to be too corrupt at this point TAF might be the worst offender.

 

[djd09]

Put me and 4 other posters here of my choosing and we’ll come up with a cleaner document over a weekend. Ours might even focus on public trust, who knows?

Maybe TAF can fly us out to Vegas so we can pretend to be important and make it official.

we need to take a pen to that useless document...give it some real teeth

 

[George Hatch]

Put me and 4 other posters here of my choosing and we’ll come up with a cleaner document over a weekend. Ours might even focus on public trust, who knows?

Maybe TAF can fly us out to Vegas so we can pretend to be important and make it official.

The key to making a document that focuses on public trust and is respected is to be truly independent, and not serve any other masters. Appraisal organizations have been found to be too corrupt at this point TAF might be the worst offender.

It's a nice idea, but one thing you'd have to figure out is how to express these concepts and to word the document in such a way that people like you will not be able to get away with the Disney-style reimagination of what is/isn't required. That's easier said than done.

"If you really loved me you would know what I mean without me having to say it out loud" might work between you and your significant other, but the legal profession exists to parse the meaning of various documents. Having strong feelings about something just isn't enough. Not when considering the stakes of the various conflict that can arise.

 

[George Hatch]

we need to take a pen to that useless document...give it some real teeth

You know what you call legal requirements which assert jurisdiction over the conduct of individuals and include spelling out the classifications of violations (infraction, misdemeanor, felony)?
Laws, Rules and Regulations. As enacted, enforced, adjudicated and punished by the State. (TAF and USPAP don't touch any of that)

Support your local politicians

 

[djd09]

my local politician is crooked like 15th st

 

[George Hatch]

Well gee, that's a problem, isn't it?

So now what? What's the alternative for getting to "better"?