EMERGENCY - AMC Sues Appraiser Independence

 

When AMC's Get Scared ...They Sue

Independence Home Front!

Good News or Bad News ...Your Call

Dear AFI Members, (Now ACA Members)

We have Bad news or Good News, depending on how you look at it.

First I want to congratulate ALL of you on your efforts individually and collectively on striving for Appraiser Independence. All of the bickering and arguments aside, at least we can all agree at the very basic level Appraisers need their Independence to financially remain in the industry. Fighting for Independence is essential on our part to remove, one sided indemnity contracts, forced fee scenarios, and the sub control by banks over the Appraisal Industry. Restoring our Fees back to pre-HVCC, and allowing Appraisers to determine their Customary & Reasonable Fee is a fight we must ALL take on. Only we can set the standard and only we can enforce it.

We have in the past been a force to reckon with. We have had great success in Washington and
in front of Congress and even the Senate. Appraisers standing up for Independence has many of the opposition whom wish to do away with Appraisers and the Appraisal Industry are franticly pulling out all of the stops. They are suing the AFI to try to get us out of the picture.

I have been busy dealing with this AMC lawsuit. I am not allowed to say who they are, however they have unleashed their legal team to shut down the AFI. This means, they are running scared and mostly are afraid of the AFI and what it represents and do not wish to see it continue. That is pretty good news, because we are doing something right. Perhaps a lot of things right!

My legal counsel has informed me that they actually have no merit, nor do they have an actual case. The bad news is, the AMC already knows this and the goal here is not to win, but to exhaust funds, drag it out and intend to file lawsuit after lawsuit until something sticks for the next several
years. Personally, I do not have the time or the funds to fight this for the next 6 to 10 years nor do I intend to get distracted from the real effort which is most important to all of you….Appraiser Independence.

For that reason we are re-opening the AFI (Appraisers for Independence) under the NEW name American Coalition of Appraisers. [ ACA ]

The message is the same, the fight is the same and the site is the same. We just have a new name and location.

The site address is: http://americancoalitionofappraisers.com
Please bookmark it as soon as you can and update your records.

Feel free to post your comments on the ACA
BLOG!

The log in for members should still remain active and the same. If you do experience any problems, please let me know immediately so that I may get those corrected and updated as soon as possible.

We have been working on some really great changes that I hope to get implemented real soon. We have been side tracked recently, however putting all of this behind us gives us the room to move forward fully focused and unencumbered.

Thank you all for your dedication to the Industry and your support for Independence!

~Bryan
ACA
American Coalition of Appraisers




The AFI would like to thank all of you who have signed the letter to the ASB to not accept the proposed changes to USPAP in the Exposure Draft 2. We would like to thank all of you who have sent individual letters supporting our efforts.

Thank You Marion Rhodes for you efforts in allowing Appraisers to be heard at the ASB. We thank You!

Please stay tuned for any additional & new updates regarding Draft 3.
The link to the 3rd exposure draft is: https://appraisalfoundation.sharefile.com/d-s07b9e3957394e729

This is a portion copied and pasted from the new Exposure Draft 3 of USPAP.

Regarding the proposed COMMUNICATION RULE: It is obvious from the responses to the Second Exposure Draft that the controversy related to expanding USPAP to address an appraiser’s accountability for draft or interim communications is significant, varies across appraisal
disciplines, and can have a dramatic impact on an appraiser’s daily work.

Given the time constraints for adoption and publication of the 2012-13 edition of USPAP, the broader recognition of appraiser obligations in communication will NOT be included in this edition. The COMMUNICATION RULE and proposed edits to the SCOPE OF WORK RULE exposed in the 2nd Exposure Draft will not be considered further for the 2012-13 edition of USPAP.  

"They have listened to us and we have won a great victory, and at least 2 years without the garbage they proposed in the last two exposure drafts. Thank You!" Marion Rhodes

Keep up the good work.  

Please remember to support Congressman Paul Kanjorski. The Congressman & his Staff worked tirelessly in his efforts to support Appraisers all over the country. His commitment to Appraiser Independence has been steady & abundant, and will continue to support Appraisers in Congress
when reelected. Regardless of your political affiliation there is no denying the positive impact Congressman Kanjorski has had on the Appraisal Industry and our fight for Appraiser Independence. He & his staff keep in mind every day the fight for our fees and how important that is not only to our Industry but to our families as well. If you live in Pennsylvania please vote for Paul Kanjorski as our Congressman. Please encourage everyone you know to do the same. If you live outside Pennsylvania please run through your contacts database and let everyone you know who lives in Pennsylvania how important their vote is for our Industry.




Thanks!
Curtis D. Harris, BS, CGREA, REB
Bachelor of Science in Real Estate, CSULA
State Certified General Appraiser
Real Estate Broker
ASTM E-2018 Commercial Real Estate Inspector
HUD 203k Consultant
HUD/FHA Real Estate Appraiser/Reviewer
FannieMae REO Consultant
CTAC LEED Certification

The Harris Company, Forensic Appraisers and Real Estate Consultants
*PIRS/Harris Company and the Science of Real Estate-Partners*
1910 East Mariposa Avenue, Suite 115
El Segundo, CA. 90245
310-337-1973 Office
310-251-3959 Cell
WebSite: http://www.harriscompanyrec.com
Resume: http://www.harriscompanyrec.com/rESUME2011.pdf
Commercial Appraiser Blog: http://harriscompanyrec.com/blog/
IT'S THE LAW-Designation Discrimination is Illegal [FIRREA, Sec. 564.6]: Professional Association Membership http://www.orea.ca.gov/html/fed_regs.shtml#Statement7 Membership in an appraisal organization: A State Certified General Appraiser may not be excluded from consideration for an assignment for a federally related transaction by virtue of membership or lack of membership in any particular appraisal organization, including the appraisal institute.

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