A Baseless Bias Claim Turns Into a State Appraisal Crusade
My name is Steve Orlowski, and I am a retired Illinois Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser. In November 2020, I conducted a property appraisal. The owner deemed my value low by more than $100,000. He only complained to the State of Illinois Department of Real Estate and filed a racism complaint with HUD; he didn’t submit a reconsideration of value. Following an informal hearing, the State of Illinois Appraisal Board required me to acknowledge my wrongdoing, complete 35 hours of coursework, submit to public discipline, and pay a fine. I hired an attorney and declined. My attorney asked me to find an expert witness. I contacted two MAI-designated appraisers. Both MAI-designated appraisers confirmed that my appraisal seemed well-developed, but they declined to represent me due to their fear of retaliation from the appraisal board.
I received an oral cancer diagnosis a few months after the hearing. My attorney asked the appraisal board to postpone the case until after I finished my treatment. I experienced binocular diplopia as a result of a stroke I had during radiation therapy. Because of this condition, I am unable to drive. I applied for Social Security Disability, and nine months later, I was granted it. My condition and my inability to work were disclosed to the appraisal board by my attorney. Furthermore, he told them that I would not be renewing my license at the next renewal. The state appraisal board was adamant about pursuing the case. Six months after the license renewal deadline, when it was no longer valid, I consented to surrender my license, which put an end to the case.
Looking through recent real estate listings, I discovered that the property that has been causing me so much distress recently sold for $185,000. I appraised the property in November 2020 for $164,000. It seems my estimate was accurate given the slight rise in area values over the previous five years.
The shocking part of this story is how completely unaccountable the state appraisal board is. They prosecuted me without valid cause. I understand the federal government is the only entity that can discipline a state appraisal board.
