AMC Declares Bankruptcy: What Appraisers Need To Know You received a letter in the mail informing you that your client has filed for bankruptcy. It is this moment you realize that this bad news just became your problem. Many of us are familiar with the recent bankruptcy filings of Evaluation Solutions and its subsidiary ES Appraisal Services. Peter Christensen, attorney and general counsel to LIA Administrators & Insurance Services, shared in his blog that the total unpaid fees to appraisers, agents, and brokers as listed in bankruptcy documents is $11,048,411.97! This is a remarkable amount. Evaluation Solutions’ bankruptcy documents accounted for...
Evaluation Solutions, LLC: The Anatomy of an AMC’s Failure and Why Lender’s Should Care Last week, I had the pleasure of speaking to the Collateral Risk Network about lender oversight of appraisal management companies. With that exciting topic as my general theme, I chose to address the specific issue of AMCs failing to pay independent contractor appraisers for appraisals ordered by the lender-client (and also failing to pay agents and brokers for BPOs). This issue has been brought to the forefront of many appraisers’ minds and bank accounts by the recent failure of two large AMCs: National Real Estate Information...
We are passing along this message from Dave Towne: “Ivor Hill has been working with the FBI. Today (1/24/13) the FBI collected all the files he had for JVI and appraisers that are owed money.” “He has asked to ask everyone, and that they ask everyone they know, to spread word that if anyone is owed money from ES Appraisal or any other AMC that went out of business without paying for appraisals to please contact him. He is putting together information directly for FBI investigations.” Please tell your friends to contact Ivor at: ijh@ijhill.com
Filing a Complaint Against ES Appraisal Services With Arizona Board of Appraisal The Board of Appraisal has received information that ES Appraisal Services, registration #40150, has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and is closing its doors for business. If you have an open invoice on an appraisal completed for ES Appraisal Services in Arizona, which is past the 45 days required by statute, please file a complaint with Rebecca Loar at the Board of Appraisal by January 11, 2013. A.R.S § 32-3675. Payment EXCEPT IN CASES OF BREACH OF CONTRACT OR SUBSTANDARD PERFORMANCE OF SERVICES, EACH APPRAISAL MANAGEMENT COMPANY SHALL...
Evaluation Solutions, ES Appraisal Services in bankruptcy… Another AMC is closing its doors. Evaluation Solutions, ES Appraisal Services is in bankruptcy. Appraisers who have been inquiring about money owed to them, are receiving emails stating “Due to unforeseen circumstances Evaluations Solutions, ES Appraisal Services is ceasing operations” and “any inquiries should be directed to Bradley R. Markey…” The following is a letter from their bankruptcy attorney, Stutsman Thames & Markey, P.A.: Our firm has been retained to file a Chapter 7 bankruptcy proceeding for the company. Evaluation Solutions lost its major client earlier this week and was forced to shut...
