What You Say Can and Will Be Used Against You

Appraisal profession & social network dangersDoes this sound familiar? If so, I hope it’s because you watch a lot of shows like Law & Oder on television and not for any other reason. If this doesn’t sound familiar, it is one part of the Miranda warning police must give to criminal suspects before questioning them. How does that apply to you? Well, it can have equally negative consequences in a civil case (insurance claim) also.

To see if you need to read any further, take this short quiz. If you answer “yes” to any one of these questions, you’d better read it all.

  1. Do you have your own LinkedIn page?
  2. Do you post any comments in a LinkedIn group related to your profession?
  3. Do you have a Facebook page or have you “liked” any pages related to your profession?
  4. Do you post any comments on Facebook related to your profession?
  5. Do you have a Twitter account?
  6. Do you ever tweet about your profession?
  7. Do you ever exchange emails about your profession with any friends?

If you answered “yes” even once, then please read the rest of this article. It might save you a lot of time and money someday.

As a former litigator who has had some experience with E&O claims, I can say without any doubt that one of the first things I would do today if I were preparing to depose a real estate professional (agent, appraiser, broker, inspector, title agent, etc.) about their knowledge and expertise would be to do a social media search. Why? So I can find out what they have ever said about any subject related to their profession which I might be able to use to impeach or discredit them when they testify they followed proper standards and protocols. Confused? Let’s use a home inspector as an example. Here is how the Q&A might go (I’ll skip the part about name, age, address, etc.).

Q: Are you an experienced and competent home inspector?

A: Yes, I am.

Q: Do you always follow the appropriate standards of practice when conducting an inspection?

A: Yes, of course.

Q: Then, can you explain why you posted this comment on LinkedIn just 3 months ago? “The standards of practice from my state are worthless and any inspector who adheres to them will never make any money. To make any money, you have to ignore the standards and do what the client wants.”

A. (Sound of choking noises from attorney for inspector and from inspector followed by request to suspend the deposition and discuss settlement.)

I think you get the idea. The moral of the story is the next time you are about to post something online, think about how it will sound a year from now if you find yourself defending a claim under your E&O policy. It may be funny now, but will it be so funny then? After all, anything you say can and will be used against you when you least expect it.

Brian L. Trotrier
Latest posts by Brian L. Trotrier (see all)
Brian L. Trotrier

Brian L. Trotrier

A former practicing attorney with more than 30 years experience in real estate and risk management. The Foundation of Real Estate Associates (FREA) has specialized in providing Errors & Omissions Insurance to appraisers and home inspectors since 1993. As a membership organization with over 6,000 members, FREA is one of the largest and most well respected professional associations in the country, providing E&O Insurance for appraisers and inspectors as well as educational opportunities, member benefits, and legal support.

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2 Responses

  1. Retired Appraiser Retired Appraiser says:

    One Minor Point

    Residential appraising can no longer be considered a profession. Appraisers today are form fillers with required alterations being forced upon them by AMCs. Once upon a time it could have been considered as a serious profession. Any professionals who may be lingering in the business will agree that they are being slowly & discretely retrained by AMCs in how to create value to meet their client’s needs.

    1
  2. Avatar Jack Schlenk says:

    Have you taken the USPAP 2014 -2015 class, I have.
    Can you answer these questions: USPAP addresses?
    Ethic Rule set forth? Scope of work rule?
    ?? are an integral part USPAP and have the same weight as the component they address.
    What Standards have been retired?

    0

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What You Say Can and Will Be Used Against You

by Brian L. Trotrier time to read: 2 min
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