R162-2e-304. Required Disclosures and Customary and Reasonable Compensation

  (1) In addition to the disclosures required by Section 61-2e-304, an AMC shall:

  (a) notify the appraiser in writing at the time an appraiser is first added to an appraiser panel:

  (i) of the general criteria the AMC uses to rank an appraiser on the panel; and,

  (ii) if the AMC chooses to separate appraisers into different tiers, of the general criteria the AMC uses to distinguish one tier from another;

  (b) notify the affected appraisers in writing of any changes if, after the notice provided for in subsection (1)(a), the AMC changes any of the general criteria the AMC considers relative to an appraiser's ranking, tier, or classification within the panel structure;

  (c) at the time an assignment is offered, disclose to the appraiser:

  (i) the total amount that the appraiser may expect to earn from the assignment:

  (A) disclosed as a dollar amount; and

  (B) delineating any fees or costs that will be charged by the AMC to the appraiser;

  (ii)(A) the property address;

  (B) the legal description; or

  (C) equivalent information that would allow the appraiser to determine whether the appraiser has been involved with any service regarding the subject property within the three years preceding the date on which the assignment is offered;

  (iii) the assignment conditions and scope of work requirements in sufficient detail to allow the appraiser to determine whether the appraiser is competent to complete the assignment; and

  (iv) any known deadlines within which the assignment must be completed;

  (d) at or before the time the appraiser accepts an assignment, obtain the appraiser's acknowledgment as to the AMC's competency statement;

  (e) before requiring the appraiser to submit a completed report, disclose to the appraiser:

  (i) the total fee that will be collected by the AMC for the assignment; and

  (ii) the total amount that the AMC will retain from the fee charged, disclosed as a dollar amount; and

  (f) direct the appraiser who performs the real estate appraisal activity to disclose in the body of the appraisal report:

  (i) the total compensation, stated as a dollar amount, paid to the appraiser or, if the appraiser is employed by an appraisal company, to the appraiser's employer; and

  (ii) the total compensation retained by the AMC in connection with the real estate appraisal activity, stated as a dollar amount.

  (2) Within 10 business days of receiving a written request from an appraiser or any inquiry related to the business relationship between the appraiser and the AMC, an AMC shall reply to the appraiser in writing. An inquiry may address subjects including the AMC scorecard, appraiser panel status, clarification on work assignments, training, or notice of the removal of an appraiser from an AMC panel as required by Utah Code Section 61-2e-306. If the AMC has requested appraisers send such inquiries to a specific address or email address, appraisers shall direct such inquiries accordingly.

  (a) If the AMC has determined to decrease the number of assignments to the appraiser the AMC's reply will explain the reason why the AMC has made this decision;

  (b) if the AMC has determined to cease offering assignments to the appraiser, the the AMC's reply will explain the reason why the AMC has made this decision; and

  (c) if the AMC has determined to remove the appraiser from an appraiser panel, the AMC shall provide the appraiser notice as required by Utah Code Section 61-2e-306.

  (3) Any written notice or reply required by this section from an AMC to an appraiser may be communicated:

  (a) by email;

  (b) in a written communication to the mailing address provided by the appraiser; or

  (c) by posting to a private vendor website, portal, or other digital venue to which the appraiser has access for at least 30 days following posting of the notice.

  (4) For purposes of this Section, the term " general criteria" means a standard description of the factors the AMC considers when ranking or differentiating appraisers or tiers within a panel of appraisers. This does not require an AMC to disclose any algorithms, formulas, or information about proprietary processes.

  (5) In replying to a request from an appraiser, an AMC is not required to reply to subsequent or multiple requests if a request unreasonably duplicates a prior request from that person.

  (6) In addition to the presumptions of compliance referenced in Utah Code Subsection 61-2e-304(2)(b), an AMC is presumed to be in compliance with the Utah requirement to pay appraisers a customary and reasonable fee if the AMC compensates an appraiser for a completed appraisal at a rate consistent with the fee schedule for the state of Utah as published by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs Denver Regional Loan Center Appraisal Fee Schedule, as the fee schedule is updated from time-to-time.