Amrock CA Fee Panel Appraisers Suspended
Amrock recently sent their California fee panel appraisers an email informing them it will suspend the use of fee panel appraisers in California, in order to comply with AB5 law.
Dear Valued Partner,
New legislation has recently gone into effect that requires Amrock to suspend the use of fee panel appraisers in the State of California.
As we take the difficult steps necessary to comply with this new law, we would like to thank you for all the contributions you have made towards making our partnership successful. We appreciate your dedicated service and we will continue to advocate aggressively for your ability to practice your profession independently.
We are here for you during this difficult transition. Because we are committed to transparency, so we can discuss this new law, what it means for you and what we can do together to continue providing exceptional appraisal services to the people of California.
We understand and share your frustrations on this issue. Amrock, along with many others in the industry, is actively pursuing efforts to loosen the restraints placed on the appraisal profession by this law and we remain hopeful that we can resume providing orders to our fee panel partners in the state.
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Interesting! So they’ll probably use their staff appraisers in California.
Is this the only AMC doing this in CA? How are the others complying then?
Amrock is putting pressure on appraisers, making them suffer, hoping that will get them support for Amrock to work around the law
You gotta realize these folks are VERY low wage workers based in sh*t hole USA-Detroit… Functionally illiterate, laid off, ex factory worker, simpletons.
Doubt any of them have even read the legislation or much less… know how to read.
And that’s probably not necessary here, borderline racist. Just letting you know, think about it for a while.
WOW! What a comment … did you formulate that opinion at the latest Trump rally you attended, or perhaps it was the latest KKK rally?
As someone who lives and works in the Detroit area, there is nothing “boarder line” racist about your comments … rather full blown racist. I feel sorry for you. Please save such comments for your “dark web” chat rooms instead of a professional forum such as this. Unbelievable!
If in doubt; shout ‘Racist’!
Grow up. If you want to be led by the blind, that’s your choice.
The option exists for this company to stop pushing around 1099’s like employees without the benefits. This company chooses to continue to hurt appraisers instead. After all, according to other posters, that’s their pattern of engagement anyways. Why stop now?
SB is clearly an informed, well spoken attorney capable of rendering an opinion…clearly.
There are other AMCs that are disbanding their independent fee panels in favor of using staff appraisers, some of whom are former panel members who are now part-time W-2 employees. Other AMCs are reworking their engagement letters and other agreements to attempt to utilize the B2B exemption from the requirements of AB 5. There is one challenge in satisfying the requirements for the B2B exemption and that is the requirement that “the service provider is providing services directly to the contracting business rather than to customers of the contracting business.” Clearly that is not the case with appraisers, AMCs, and their clients. So, there is some creative lawyering that is taking place. The AI is working diligently to attempt to secure an exemption similar to the one granted in AB 5, for accountants, lawyers, architects, doctors, etc.
Scott- thank you for your work. Question: what is the AI doing to finally put to an end to the fee and turn time pressure being exerted by AMCs? We have one of the largest AMCs (Solidifi) now demanding two to three day turn times including weekends! Thank you.
If appraisers would STOP bending to these demands and stop working for peanuts, this practice would stop or they’d be out of business. AI isn’t going to do anything, we appraisers have to do this independently yet collectively.
That’s right Shell. The government is in place to protect liberties. The government is not in place to alter paychecks or contractual engagement terms.
Groups like the AI are supposed to function as unions, protecting the workers. They have apparently be co opted by special interests. Nobody will ever save a person from their own personal decisions through both employment and contractual engagement. Sign it, own it.
Why do appraisers knowingly continue to work for abusive amc companies then complain seeking sympathy? No rest for the wicked, a well deserved balance to this whole equation of ongoing abuse by both amc appraisers and amc’s themselves.
Why should I or anyone else whom refused amc engagements feel sorry for appraisers whom cut in front of us in line despite having fewer qualifications and worthy merits to deserve more work than us? Because low fees? Because no other option? Fail and rightfully so. This has been coming down the tracks for over a decade with many instances of previous validated derailment reporting. How could anyone not see these types of events in their future if they continue to support amc’s? Don’t be naive, the are alternatives which grow with each passing appraiser whom learns to stand up for themselves and say no to amc engagement. The world is what we make it and this industry is collectively, what appraisers allowed it to be.
I’m not to heartbroken, I’ve been on their fee panel for many years. It had become very apparent that they only would send me work when it was a property that their cookie-cutter staff appraisers could not handle. Like one every three months. Once I took an off-the-grid appraisal assignment form them. It was new construction, and the owner was still waiting for his final permits. Four times I got a call from Amrock saying the homeowner was ready for final inspection, four times the homeowner said he was not. In the end, the homeowner got his C of O and we closed out the appraisal. At the end of that month, I got the performance report from Amrock and they had marked me as being late with the report. Looks like it was a mortgage rep. trying to force the issue.
That’s exactly how it works, all the non sense jobs get shipped off the fee panel. I feel and have felt your pain for many years in NJ.
How can an AMC middle man use their own staff? What kind of a messed up system do we have here? I guess all that lobbying paid off.
Is Appraiser Blog going to cover the scandal over at the Appraisal foundation? According to a new book, TAF is a criminal cartel.
https://www.amazon.com/Dispatches-Cosmic-Cobra-Breeding-Farm/dp/0999710745/
Thanks for the link ej. Ordered the book!
What the heck! I just had the book sent to my kindle. EJ may want to get out of the appraisal racket and become a bookseller!
Jim
Cool, bookmarked. Thank you.
Most all AMC’s have “staff appraiser’s” they funnel most of their orders to. Can anyone please tell me how this separates the lender from the appraiser as Dodd and Cuomo wanted. Independent appraiser’s are only asked to appraised the crap AMC’s don’t want to hassle with. Then they ask us to bid low and perform fast for them. Then everyone wonders why this is a dying profession.
My dentist summed it up best, “before we were suspicious of this type of activity, in today’s’ climate, it is being confirmed”!
Go to work for the VA – they are hiring. Maybe not in your area but it is at least worth a try. $600 per appraisal. The older appraisers are retiring and they need new appraisers. I almost stopped working for AMC rip off companies, and low fees, quick turn times, appraisal scope creep and rude customer service reps. Sign up for the VA!! – https://www.benefits.va.gov/HOMELOANS/appraiser_fee_app.asp