Eminent Domain Blog : Pennsylvania Eminent Domain Lawyer & Attorney : Fox Rothschild Law Firm : Condemnation, Real Estate Valuation : Philadelphia, Bucks County, Pennsylvania

The National Association of Independent Fee Appraisers (NAIFA) has issued a response to the Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC). The HVCC became effective for single-family mortgage loans (except government-insured loans) originated on or after May 1, 2009, and delivered to Fannie Mae and has been a source of controversy for appraisers and lending institutions.

In its response, the NAIFA acknowledges a lot of the concerns about the HVCC that have been expressed by various segments of the mortgage industry. However, the NAIFA puts the responsibility on the lender. The response states:

The fact is that all of the concerns mentioned above are all the responsibility of the lending institution. They are responsible for making sure that the competency of the appraiser and the quality of the appraisal meets the standards required to execute a sound mortgage decision.

The NAIFA will be issuing a “Consumer Guide for Quality Appraisals” which will be available soon at www.NAIFA.com. The NAIFA response can be found at www.naifa.com/about/NAIFA_Responds
_to_HVCC_Issue8_28_09.pdf.

 

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The Appraisal Foundation – a nonprofit organization that establishes standards for appraisers – has announced that it is establishing a “Consistent Enforcement Task Force.” The Foundation stated, that “[w]ith 55 different state real property appraiser regulatory bodies enforcing USPAP, there is a wide range of disciplinary actions taking place. While uniformity may be an unrealistic goal, there is a need for greater consistency in enforcement. One objective is the development of recommended disciplinary guidelines.”

The Task Force will provide a set of recommended disciplinary guidelines. The Task Force is composed of Trustees, current and former state appraiser regulators and an Appraisal
Subcommittee representative.
 

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The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act of 2009. The bill, H.R. 1728, passed by a vote of 300 to 114 on May 7, 2009. The bill includes provisions that will impact appraisers including:

• Requirements for complete interior inspection appraisals for all subprime loans;
• Establishment of a federal appraisal independence standard with significant monetary penalties for violations;
• Modernizing provisions of Title XI of FIRREA to provide additional resources for state enforcement and greater accountability of federal and state appraisal regulators;
• Required separation and clear disclosure of fees paid to appraisers and fees paid for appraisal administration (i.e., fees paid to appraisal management companies);
• Limitations on the use of broker price opinions in loan origination; and
• Registration requirements, and a regulatory framework, for Appraisal Management Companies, with mechanisms to prohibit infiltration by appraisers sanctioned by state regulatory agencies.

The bill now will be considered by the SenateSenate Banking Committee. There is no timetable yet for its consideration.

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The United States Tax Court recently found that an appraisal does not necessarily need to comply with the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice – commonly known as USPAP – to be admissible or reliable. In Whitehouse Hotel Limited Partnership v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue – filed October 30, 2008 – the IRS’ appraiser submitted an appraisal that did not fully comply with USPAP. The taxpayer argued that the appraiser’s report was per se unreliable since it is not in conformance with USPAP. It further argued that it should not be received into evidence.

The Tax Court rejected that argument and admitted the appraisal into evidence. It offered the following explanation for its holding:

“USPAP is widely-recognized and accepted as containing standards applicable to the appraisal profession. Adherence to those standards is evidence that the appraiser is applying methods that are generally accepted within the appraisal profession. Therefore, at a minimum, compliance with USPAP is an indication that the appraiser's valuation report is reliable. However, a noncompliant valuation report is not per se unreliable. Full compliance with professional standards is not the sole measure of an expert's reliability. Petitioner essentially asks the Court to supplant its responsibility to assess an expert’s reliability with a rigid standard of reliability. Sole reliance on USPAP is a far more inflexible definition of reliability than the definition (depending on "reliable principles and methods") incorporated into Rule 702 of the Federal Rules of Evidence. Therefore, we decline to adopt USPAP as the sole standard for reliability of an expert appraiser.”

 

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One concern I hear consistently expressed by appraisers is that there are times when they are pressured to reach a certain number when appraising properties.  Congress is considering legislation that prohibits all parties involved in a real estate transaction from improperly influencing an appraiser.  The legislation is part of an amendment to pending foreclosure prevention legislation known as the Federal Housing Administration Housing Stabilization and Homeowner Retention Act (H.R. 5830).  On April 24, the U.S. House Financial Services Committee agreed by voice vote to add the amendment to H.R. 5830.

The goal of the amendment is to ensure an independent and competently performed appraisal process.  It has been backed by the Appraisal Institute and has bipartisan support in Congress. However, the future of H.R. 5830 is uncertain.  It authorizes the FHA to guarantee billions of dollars worth of refinanced loans if lenders reduce loan amounts to reflect reduced home values.  The measure would require banks to make less money on the loans but it would also reduce their credit exposure, while helping families stay in their homes.  According to the Appraisal Institute, discussions are underway in the Senate on companion legislation to H.R. 5830, where several other questions will likely be addressed at the committee level, including what property standards (FHA or conventional) will be applied to the appraisals and who will actually order the appraisal.

It would be naive to think that this legislation would eliminate all improper behavior.  However, it is a step in the right direction even if it serves to draw attention to this serious problem.

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