This section lets the commissioner discipline an appraiser’s license and prohibits a wide range of dishonest, incompetent, contingent, confidential-information, and improper-influence practices.
§ Subdivision 1.Enforcement. The license of a licensed real estate appraiser may be denied, revoked, or suspended, or the person may be otherwise disciplined in accordance with this chapter, upon any of the grounds set forth in this section. § Subd. 2.Conduct prohibited. No person may: (1) obtain or try to obtain a license under this chapter by knowingly making a false statement, submitting false information, refusing to provide complete information in response to a question in an application for license, or through any form of fraud or misrepresentation; (2) fail to meet the minimum qualifications established by this chapter; (3) be convicted, including a conviction based upon a plea of guilty or nolo contendere, of a crime that is substantially related to the qualifications, functions, and duties of a person developing real estate appraisals and communicating real estate appraisals to others; (4) engage in an act or omission involving dishonesty, fraud, or misrepresentation with the intent to substantially benefit the license holder or another person or with the intent to substantially injure another person; (5) engage in a violation of any of the standards for the development or communication of real estate appraisals as provided in this chapter; (6) fail or refuse without good cause to exercise reasonable diligence in developing an appraisal, preparing an appraisal report, or communicating an appraisal; (7) engage in negligence or incompetence in developing an appraisal, in preparing an appraisal report, or in communicating an appraisal; (8) willfully disregard or violate any of the provisions of this chapter or the rules of the commissioner for the administration and enforcement of the provisions of this chapter; (9) accept an appraisal assignment when the employment itself is contingent upon the appraiser reporting a predetermined estimate, analysis, or opinion, or where the fee to be paid is contingent upon the opinion, conclusion, or valuation reached, or upon the consequences resulting from the appraisal assignment; (10) violate the confidential nature of governmental records to which the person gained access through employment or engagement as an appraiser by a governmental agency; (11) offer, pay, or give, and no person shall accept, any compensation or other thing of value from a real estate appraiser by way of commission-splitting, rebate, finder's fee, or otherwise in connection with a real estate appraisal. This prohibition does not apply to transactions among persons licensed under this chapter if the transactions involve appraisals for which the license is required; (12) engage or authorize a person, except a person licensed under this chapter, to act as a real estate appraiser on the appraiser's behalf; (13) violate standards of professional practice; (14) make an oral appraisal report without also making a written report within a reasonable time after the oral report is made; (15) represent a market analysis to be an appraisal report; (16) give an appraisal in any circumstances where the appraiser has a conflict of interest, as determined under rules adopted by the commissioner; or (17) engage in other acts the commissioner by rule prohibits. No person, including a mortgage originator, appraisal management company, real estate broker or salesperson, appraiser, or other licensee, registrant, or certificate holder regulated by the commissioner may improperly influence or attempt to improperly influence the development, reporting, result, or review of a real estate appraisal. Prohibited acts include blacklisting, boycotting, intimidation, coercion, and any other means that impairs or may impair the independent judgment of the appraiser, including but not limited to the withholding or threatened withholding of payment for an appraisal fee, or the conditioning of the payment of any appraisal fee upon the opinion, conclusion, or valuation to be reached, or a request that the appraiser report a predetermined opinion, conclusion, or valuation, or the desired valuation of any person, or withholding or threatening to withhold future work in order to obtain a desired value on a current or proposed appraisal assignment. § Subd. 3.Revocations. If the commissioner finds that any licensee or applicant is no longer in existence or has ceased to do business as a real estate appraiser or is subject to an adjudication of mental incompetence or to the control of a committee, conservator, or guardian, or cannot be located after reasonable search, the commissioner may by order revoke the license or deny the application of that person. § Subd. 4.Time limitations. (a) If more than five years have passed from the date on which a licensed real estate appraiser completes a disciplinary action under subdivision 1, then notwithstanding section 13.41, all investigative data concerning the disciplinary action is private data, as defined in section 13.02, subdivision 12. (b) Paragraph (a) does not apply to disciplinary actions: (1) that resulted in the denial, suspension, revocation, or surrender in lieu of revocation of a license; (2) due to a violation of section 82B.20, subdivision 2, clause (4); or (3) due to a violation of section 82B.03, subdivision 1. (c) Nothing in paragraph (a) or (b) shall be construed to prevent the commissioner from fulfilling any requirements pursuant to title XI of the federal Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989, including any amendments and regulations, or the sharing of any public data under section 13.41 regarding a disciplinary action with any state appraiser certifying and licensing agency.