2023 Montana Code Annotated › Title 37. Professions and Occupations › Chapter 54. Real Estate Appraisers › Part 1. General › 37-54-102. Definitions

37-54-102. Definitions.
Terms commonly used in appraisal practice and as used in this chapter must be defined according to the uniform standards of professional appraisal practice, as issued by the appraisal foundation. As used in this chapter, unless the context requires otherwise, the following definitions apply:
(1) "Appraisal" means the practice of developing an opinion of the value of real property in conformance with the uniform standards of professional appraisal practice as developed by the appraisal foundation.
(2) "Appraisal foundation" means the appraisal foundation incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation on November 30, 1987, pursuant to Title XI of the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989, 12 U.S.C. 3310, et seq. The purposes of the appraisal foundation are to:
(a) establish and improve uniform appraisal standards by defining, issuing, and promoting those standards;
(b) establish appropriate criteria for the licensure and certification of qualified appraisers by defining, issuing, and promoting qualification criteria and disseminate the qualification criteria to states and other governmental entities; and
(c) develop or assist in the development of appropriate examinations for qualified appraisers.
(3) "Appraisal management company" means, in connection with valuation of properties collateralizing mortgage loans or mortgages incorporated into a securitization, an external third party, authorized either by a creditor of a consumer credit transaction secured by a consumer's principal dwelling or by an underwriter of or other principal in the secondary mortgage markets, that oversees a network or panel of more than 15 certified or licensed appraisers in this state or 25 or more nationally within a given year.
(4) "Appraisal management services" means the direct or indirect performance of any of the following functions on behalf of a lender, financial institution, client, or other person in conjunction with a consumer credit transaction that is secured by a consumer's principal dwelling:
(a) administering an appraiser panel;
(b) recruiting, retaining, or selecting appraisers to be part of an appraisal panel;
(c) qualifying and verifying licensing or certification, negotiating fees, and verifying service level expectations with appraisers who are part of an appraiser panel;
(d) contracting with appraisers from the appraiser panel to perform appraisal assignments;
(e) receiving an order for an appraisal assignment from one person and delivering the order for the appraisal assignment to an appraiser who is part of an appraiser panel for completion;
(f) managing the process of having an appraisal assignment performed, including performing administrative duties such as receiving appraisal assignment orders and reports, submitting completed appraisal reports to creditors and underwriters, collecting fees from creditors and underwriters for services provided, and reimbursing appraisers for services performed;
(g) tracking and determining the status of orders for appraisal assignments;
(h) conducting quality control examinations of a completed appraisal assignment prior to the delivery of the appraisal report to a client who ordered the appraisal assignment; and
(i) providing a completed appraisal report performed by an appraiser to one or more clients.
(5) (a) "Appraisal review" means the act or process of developing and communicating an opinion about the quality of another appraiser's work that was performed as part of an appraisal assignment.
(b) The term does not include a quality control examination.
(6) "Appraiser" means an individual who holds a license or certification to complete an appraisal assignment in the state where the real property that is the subject of the appraisal assignment is located.
(7) "Appraiser panel" means a network of licensed or certified appraisers who are independent contractors with respect to an appraisal management company and who have:
(a) responded to an invitation, request, or solicitation from an appraisal management company to:
(i) perform an appraisal assignment for a client that has ordered an appraisal assignment through the appraisal management company; or
(ii) perform appraisal assignments for the appraisal management company directly as requested and assigned by the appraisal management company; and
(b) been selected and approved by an appraisal management company to perform appraisal assignments for any client of the company that has ordered an appraisal assignment through the company or to perform appraisal assignments for the appraisal management company directly on a periodic basis as assigned by the appraisal management company.
(8) "Board" means the board of real estate appraisers provided for in 2-15-1758.
(9) "Certified real estate appraiser" means a person who develops and communicates real estate appraisals and who has a valid real estate appraisal certificate issued under 37-54-305.
(10) "Controlling person" means:
(a) an owner, officer, or director of a corporation, partnership, or other business entity that offers appraisal management services in this state;
(b) an individual employed, appointed, or authorized by an appraisal management company to enter into a contractual relationship with other persons for the performance of appraisal management services and to enter into agreements with appraisers for the performance of appraisal assignments; or
(c) an individual who possesses directly or indirectly the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of an appraisal management company.
(11) "Department" means the department of labor and industry provided for in 2-15-1701.
(12) "Licensed real estate appraisal trainee" means a person authorized only to assist a certified real estate appraiser in the performance of an appraisal assignment.
(13) "Licensed real estate appraiser" means a person who holds a current valid real estate appraiser license issued under 37-54-201.
(14) "Person" means an individual, firm, partnership, association, corporation, or other business entity.
(15) "Quality control examination" means an examination of an appraisal report for completeness, including grammatical, mathematical, and typographical errors.
(16) "Real estate appraiser mentor" means a certified real estate appraiser who meets the qualifications set by the board and is approved by the board to supervise licensed real estate appraisal trainees.
History: En. Sec. 2, Ch. 409, L. 1991; amd. Sec. 27, Ch. 481, L. 1997; amd. Sec. 146, Ch. 483, L. 2001; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 341, L. 2003; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 270, L. 2011; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 303, L. 2015; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 55, L. 2017.