Appraisal Scoop

I've been Blacklisted! Now What?

Following the recent Appraisal Scoop post from Pipeline Press titled Are YOU an "Ineligible Receiver"? CitiMortgage Monitors "Ineligible Appraisers" List I received the following email and have reprinted it below, with the Appraiser's permission.

I thought his story was somewhat unique in that it was the first time that I'd heard of an appraiser being blacklisted for completing a market update of another appraiser's appraisal.    Take a look at this story and please share your thoughts!

"I am a certified residential appraiser and have been appraising for the last 12 years successfully. A year ago I received a letter from CitiMortgage saying I was being blacklisted by them for a market update (1004 D) I was asked to do for them by PCV Murcor although the appraisal was done by another appraiser.

I [completed] the 1004D as requested and found the market conditions still stable. CitiMortgage apparently had a problem with the underlying appraisal done by another appraiser and is blaming me, as the address of the property [format] in his appraisal is the same as in the letter they sent me. 

I wrote a letter to Gary Schlittler, their VP in charge of appraisals, and he said they were modifying the "punishment" by putting my name on the monitor section of the list (requires a field review) with any appraisal submitted to them by me. This has hurt my business not only from the lack of CitiMortgage business but they have also shared the information with other AMC's who will not place orders to me for their clients as their clients may be taking the loans to Citi. 

I searched your site for a half hour, but I couldn't locate any information or instructions on how to actually fight this arrogant practice. I had requested they send me the actual file on what was reviewed when they made their decision to blacklist me, but they are ignoring me. Do you have any articles or material that gives instructions or strategies on how to get your name removed from a blacklist? Thank you for any information you can provide."

There has been a comment from the "Ineligible Receiver" post regarding a source for a potential class action lawsuit:

Here is a law firm taking on with Wells Fargo

When emailing, please reference “Wells Fargo/RELS Blacklisted Appraiser”

•Contact: Genessa Stout, Attorney at Law: [email protected]  
•Larry Kunzler, Investigator: [email protected]

Also  . . . for those that are interested in reading MORE about Black Listing, please click the Appraisal Scoop category [Blacklisting / Exclusion Lists]  in our navigation on the left.

Are YOU an "Ineligible Receiver"? CitiMortgage Monitors "Ineligible Appraisers" List

CitiMortgage has addressed appraiser eligibility with their clientele for all conventional, FHA, and VA transactions. -  Pipeline Press Article

[*Appraisal Scoop Note: This article is a couple of months old but I hadn't seen the information discussed in Appraiser media so I thought it might be of value]

Starting New Year's Day [ 1/1/2011* ], Citi will be posting an "Appraiser- Monitor/Ineligible List" instead of an Approved Appraiser List. "Any appraiser not on the Appraiser- Monitor/Ineligible List may be used, subject to the other guidelines for appraisers and their appraisals set forth in the Manual." Appraisers will be grouped into those that will require "monitoring" and be identified on the list with the caption "AMC Field Review Required" (self explanatory), or those appraisers whose appraisals are ineligible for submission to Citi and will be designated on the list with the caption "Appraiser Ineligible" - and will not purchase loans based on appraisals prepared by these appraisers.

"As a website login is required to access the list, customers who wish to provide their vendors with access to the list may do so by sending an email to National Client Services at [email protected] with the contact information and email address of the person requesting access. The vendors will be provided a generic login allowing them restricted website access and not access to any Correspondent or borrower specific information." At this time Citi has approved Finiti, LSI, PCV Murcor, or ServiceLink as appraisal review companies. In addition, Citi is "encouraging" its correspondent clients use the First American CoreLogic Correspondent Validation Program ("CCVP") to validate the value of an appraisal used in a loan transaction.

"CitiMortgage will begin processing all loans, prior to loan purchase, through LoanSafe, the fraud tool provided by First American Corelogic, beginning with closed loan packages received on and after 12/14/09. Correspondents must continue to also submit an acceptable fraud report with a closed loan package."

Source: Pipeline Press - Mortgage News Daily

The New Threat to Appraiser Independence

Guest Post: Charles R. (Chuck) Dettling is a Certified Residential Real Property Appraiser licensed in Alabama and Florida. Chuck and his son, Seth, also a Certified Residential Real Property Appraiser, operate a small firm, Dettling & Associates, covering seven counties in Southwest Alabama and the Florida panhandle. Their practice includes single family, small commercial, condo, and land, with a specialization in REO assignments. Email: [email protected]  

As most appraisers and mortgage market participants are aware, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve published an Interim Final Rule in the Federal Register on October 28 2010, Volume 75, Number 208, Pages 66554 through 66587, that implements Section 129E of the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) U.S.C. 1601, which was enacted on July 21, 2010 as Section 1472 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. The Rule is to take full effect on April 1, 2011, and among other things, intends to establish new requirements for appraiser independence, and better consumer protection in all finance transactions that involve their principal residence.

As appraisers, we generally applaud the efforts of Congress and the Federal Reserve to implement rules and procedures that enhance appraiser independence, help to protect the integrity of our profession and increase public trust in the appraisal process. From the appraisers’ point of view, some of the more popular provisions of the Rule include the elimination of the HVCC, and mandated payment of “reasonable and customary compensation” to the appraiser. Other provisions attempt to strengthen already existing ethics rules and regulations. As with many extremely complex federal regulations, there are often unintended consequences. In this appraiser’s view, the mandate that “… parties involved in the transaction report appraiser misconduct to state appraiser licensing authorities” could lead to a new breed of pressure on appraisers, i.e., the threat of a board complaint. Most of us would agree there are unethical and poorly trained appraisers out there competing with the rest of us, and those should be reported when warranted. But, what unintended consequences could result from enactment this provision?

Over the course of the past several years, I have found the relationships between appraisers and real estate brokers, agents and sales staff to be increasingly strained. One need only recall the visceral reaction by the real estate sales profession after the implementation of HVCC. The national news media was filled with so-called ‘horror stories” of appraisers “low-balling” appraisals in order to avoid liability in what was (and is) clearly a tragically devastated real estate market. Agents complained bitterly that they could not get their deals done because those naughty appraisers were intentionally valuing their pending sales too low. One of the more obnoxious examples was a report on Fox Business News wherein David Asman interviewed Dolly Lentz, the Real Estate Vice Chairman of Prudential Douglas Elliman. Asman asked Lenz what needed to be done to “fix the problem” and incredibly she replied, “…I think for one, they should have to provide comparable sales.” Earth to Dolly!!

Section 226.42 42(g) Mandatory Reporting “TILA Section 129E(e) requires certain persons to report an appraiser to the applicable state appraiser certifying and licensing agency if the person has a reasonable basis to believe the appraiser is failing to comply with USPAP, is violating applicable laws, or is otherwise engaging in unethical or unprofessional conduct. 15 U.S.C. 1639e(e). This provision applies to creditors, mortgage brokers, real estate brokers, appraisal management companies, and any other persons providing a service for a covered transaction.”

By the way, notice how the new law is strangely silent on the responsibilities and professional conduct of real estate sales professionals. Could it be that the massive National Association of Realtors lobby was able to convince congress that everything was just hunky-dory on their end. Just fix the appraisers and everything will be just fine.

So, now we have several million people described in the above code section who are required by law to report appraisers when they “have a reasonable basis to believe that an appraiser has not complied with USPAP or ethical or professional requirements…” Unfortunately, the Fed forgot to define “reasonable.” Question. With (hopefully) the exception of licensed or certified appraisers, who in this group knows squat about USPAP, really? When is the last time you heard Jane Q. Public espouse the many virtues and complexities of USPAP? I had a dream the other night. I was talking to a homeowner about the appraisal process and that rascal looked over his bifocals, leaned toward me, smiled (exposing all six of his teeth), and said: “So, doesn’t the Scope of Work Rule in USPAP require you to include the research and analyses that are necessary to develop credible assignment results?” 

A couple of years ago I had a property owner file a complaint against me. The complaint letter stated rather adamantly that I had refused to consider “comparable sales” that she had provided. Those “comparables” were in another state and were so superior that it was ridiculous. I expected the case to be dismissed immediately. But according to the Board they are required by the Appraisal Standards Board to conduct a full investigation into every aspect of the appraisal assignment. Six months later and with ten years of my life eliminated, I was completely exonerated, with not even a private warning.

Armed with this new “weapon” it is easy to imagine a huge surge in complaints by irate real estate agents, unhappy property owners, and others to the state boards. What is going to happen to E&O insurance rates when over-zealous state boards launch World War III against the appraisers to protect the public (oh, yes, and raise some much-needed revenue)? Will appraisers quickly discover that simply “tweaking” the numbers to accommodate real estate sales contracts or consumers’ wishes will minimize or eliminate the risk of complaints? Will too many appraisers end up with frivolous complaints that result in fines and reprimands, tainting the valuable reputations of our colleagues, and driving the best of our lot from this profession? In short, will this codified mandate to report appraisers become the new threat to appraiser independence?

About The Author: Charles R. (Chuck) Dettling is a Certified Residential Real Property Appraiser licensed in Alabama and Florida. Chuck and his son, Seth, also a Certified Residential Real Property Appraiser, operate a small firm, Dettling & Associates, covering seven counties in Southwest Alabama and the Florida panhandle. Their practice includes single family, small commercial, condo, and land, with a specialization in REO assignments. Email: [email protected]  

Class Action Suit Says Wells Fargo, "Rels Valuation" Illegally Strong-arm Appraisers

First appraiser suit against Wells Fargo and Rels claims companies blacklist appraisers.

SEATTLE – Today two real-estate appraisers filed a proposed class-action lawsuit against Wells Fargo (NYSE: WFC) and Rels Valuation, an appraisal management service, claiming the two organizations pressured and intimidated appraisers to deliver artificially inflated home appraisal values to help close loans and increase profits.

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco under the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Practices Act (RICO), claims that beginning in 2004 Wells Fargo and Rels colluded to punish appraisers who refused to inflate appraisals by denying them future appraisal work.

Rels is one of the largest appraisal management companies in the country, acting as an intermediary between banks and appraisers. Appraisers, by law, are intended to be independent and autonomous from the influences of others, but according to the complaint are compelled to do the bidding of Rels, and through them Wells Fargo.

“We plan to show Rels effectively tells the appraisers what they want to see in the valuation, and if they don’t deliver, they are locked out of future work,” said Steve Berman, the attorney representing the plaintiffs and managing partner of Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro.

According to Berman, Rels provides the appraiser with a predetermined figure called the ‘Borrower Estimated Value’ and expects the appraisers to deliver reports with values exceeding the Rels-supplied figures.

“We heard from appraisers who say that after providing bona-fide appraisals that come in below what Rels wants, the company contacts them and strongly suggests they reevaluate the property,” Berman noted. “If an appraiser refuses, we contend Rels simply refuses to use them again.”

Don Pearsall and Timothy Savage both claim Wells Fargo tried to strong-arm each of them into inflating appraisal values, violating the laws and regulations of the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP). The USPAP rules clearly state an appraiser must not accept an assignment that includes the reporting of predetermined opinions and conclusions - something the lawsuit claims Rels does on a regular basis.

According to the compliant, Rels and Wells Fargo have given appraisers predetermined comparable properties to base appraisals, further compromising the appraisers’ independence.

Plaintiff Pearsall, a long-time appraiser, completed an appraisal for Wells Fargo and Rels in 2007. After submitting his report, Rels asked that he alter the report to reflect the company’s desired views on the property.

After refusing, the suit claims Rels blacklisted Pearsall, stripping him of a large portion of his income.

Timothy Savage, an appraiser in Vail, Colorado, also submitted two appraisals to Rels in 2009, which the company rejected, asking him to increase the appraisal values. After refusing, Savage received a letter from Rels informing him that he is no longer included on the approved panel of appraisers, the suit claims.

“We’ve heard from appraisers across the country sharing similar stories - bullied into inflating prices and blacklisted when refusing,” Berman added. “Apparently the treatment that both Tim and Don experienced is the same for hundreds, if not thousands of appraisers.”

The lawsuit seeks to represent all state-licensed or state-approved appraisers nationwide who’ve been removed as an approved appraiser by Wells Fargo or Rels Valuation. The suit asks for treble damages and is the first lawsuit filed on behalf of appraisers against Wells Fargo and Rels.

You can learn more about this case by visiting www.hbsslaw.com/appraisers . If you’ve performed appraisals for Wells Fargo or Rels Valuation and been blacklisted, you can also contact attorneys at [email protected].

Click here for the filed suit.

About Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro

Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro is based in Seattle with offices in Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Francisco and New York. Since the firm’s founding in 1993, it has developed a nationally recognized practice in class action and complex litigation. Among recent successes, HBSS has negotiated a pending $300 million settlement as lead counsel in the DRAM memory antitrust litigation; a $340 million recovery on behalf of Enron employees which is awaiting distribution; a $150 million settlement involving charges of illegally inflated charges for the drug Lupron, and served as co-counsel on the Visa/Mastercard litigation which resulted in a $3 billion settlement, the largest anti-trust settlement to date. HBSS also served as counsel in a $850 million settlement in the Washington Public Power Supply litigation and represented Washington and 12 other states in lawsuits against the tobacco industry that resulted in the largest settlement in the history of litigation. For a complete listing of HBSS cases, visit www.hbsslaw.com .

Black Listing - Law Firm Investigating if RELS is Pressuring Appraisers Illegaly

Many appraisers blacklisted as a result of not complying with RELS demands

SEATTLE. March 20, 2009. In addition to the investigation that RELS has illegally rigged the appraisal process to boost their profits, the law firm of Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro is alsoinvestigating if Wells Fargo Bank (through their appraisal management company RELS) has been pressuring independent appraisers to comply with unethical or illegal demands. Of particular importance is the tactic of blacklisting appraisers if they refuse to comply.

Many appraisers have related to the law firm that they have been blacklisted, suspended or otherwise punished for not complying with demands by Wells Fargo and RELS personnel that would result in breaking USPAP or state appraisal laws.

Since Wells Fargo/RELS controls all the appraisal assignments for homeowners, blacklisting results in substantial damage to the independent appraisers business.

Additionally, the appraiser’s name that appears on the RELS blacklist will also be blacklisted by other AMCs and lenders, since RELS shares this list with them.

Hagens Berman needs to hear your story.If you have been pressured by RELS/Wells Fargo personnel to break the laws of USPAP, state appraisal laws, or good appraisal practices please contact the law firm and tell your story. If you have even been threatened with blacklisting for not complying, or if you are currently blacklisted or suspect you are blacklisted, please contact the firm for inclusion in the investigation.

When emailing, please reference “Wells Fargo/RELS Blacklisted Appraiser”

• Contact: Genessa Stout, Attorney at Law: [email protected]  
• Larry Kunzler, Investigator: [email protected]

Contributed by Don Pearsall

Additional Resources:

• Hagens Berman Files Class Action Against Wells Fargo and Rels Valuation
• Press Release : Wells Fargo Homeowners
• Black Listing - Appraisal Scoop.com

Wells Fargo and Rels Valuation's Home Appraisal Practices and Inflated Fees Under Investigation

SEATTLE, Jan 16, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Hagens Berman is investigating Wells Fargo and its appraisal subsidiary, Rels Valuation, based on reports the companies allegedly engaged in a rigged appraisal process designed to boost profits at the expense of homeowners and independent appraisers.

The firm is investigating claims that the company forces homeowners to use its appraisal firm, Rels Valuation, which then turns around and subcontracts the work to independent appraisers while charging homeowners an inflated fee for the work.

The practice, if proven, damages homeowners as Wells Fargo and Rels Valuation control the appraisal market, a profit-boosting move that allows the companies to control third-party appraisers.

"The real estate industry and lending practices in this country put homeowners at the mercy of companies like Well Fargo and others controlling the marketplace," said Steve Berman, managing partner of Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro.

"We recently filed a lawsuit against Countrywide claiming the giant rigged its appraisal process and it's not surprising to us that other lenders may mirror Countrywide's practices."

The firm is investigating additional claims against Wells Fargo, including the use of strong-arming tactics with independent appraisers, pushing them into low-ball pricing guidelines. Some claim if appraisers don't comply with Wells Fargo's fee structure, the company adds them to a blacklist and refuses business with them in the future.

"If the claims are correct and Wells Fargo and others inflate appraisal fees the damage to homeowners could run into the hundreds of millions of dollars," said Berman. "That doesn't even take into account the abuse and loss of business independent appraisers may be experiencing."

Hagens Berman is looking for anyone who's purchased or refinanced their home through Wells Fargo and Rels Valuation. You can contact attorneys at [email protected]. You can learn more about this investigation at www.hbsslaw.com/WFCappraisals.

Join the Wells Fargo Home Appraisals Investigation!

Press Release: Hagens Berman Files "Homeowner" Class Action Lawsuit: Countrywide & LandSafe Skimming Appraisal Fees

SEATTLE - A group of Washington homeowners this week filed a lawsuit against Countrywide, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) and the nation's largest mortgage company, claiming the mortgage giant illegally rigged the appraisal process in a scheme to boost profits at the expense of homeowners and independent appraisers.  Press Release Link

Filed under the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Practices Act (RICO), the suit claims that Countrywide forces homeowners to use its wholly owned subsidiary LandSafe, for appraisals. The company then turns around and subcontracts the work to independent appraisers while charging homeowners as much as 200 percent of the actual cost of the appraisal. Download Hagens_Berman_ClassAction

The suit also contends that if independent appraisers do not accept Countrywide's fee structure or appraisal guidelines, they stand the risk of being blacklisted for further work by the industry giant.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Se attle, seeks to represent all homeowners who purchased or refinanced their home through Countrywide and LandSafe, and asks the court to award plaintiffs damages.

"As we investigated Countrywide for our clients, it was immediately obvious that Countrywide is a well-oiled operation," said Steve Berman, managing partner and lead attorney at Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro. "Unfortunately, the company's efficiencies are focused on soaking every penny from consumers and independent appraisers in ways we believe violate the law."

The lawsuit claims LandSafe subcontracts much if its appraisal work to a network of independent appraisers, but offers them rates as low as $140 per appraisal. The company then marks the costs of the appraisal back as high as $410 when invoicing homeowners.

The suit also claims that Countrywide, through its arrangement with LandSafe, has excessive influence on the appraisal process, designed to be an independent verification of a prope rty's value.

Click here to continue reading . . .

Countrywide's "Field Review List" is a Black List according to latest class-action lawsuit

SEATTLE - A group of Idaho appraisers today filed a class-action lawsuit against Countrywide (NYSE: CFC) claiming the company used strong-arming tactics to intimidate appraisers to generate reports in line with Countrywide's business objectives. Download Capitol_West_vs_Countrywide.pdf

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Seattle, claims Countrywide forced appraisers to use improper appraisal techniques that benefit the lender and punished those who did not participate by blacklisting individuals and companies for up to a year, denying them work.

One of the plaintiffs, Capitol West, saw its monthly revenues fell by $8,000 as a result of being on the Field Review List and a Countrywide employee told the business it will remain on the list for at least a year, according to the lawsuit and a Seattle PI.com article.

Countrywide, the largest home mortgage lender, has the reach and influence necessary to affect an appraiser's business if they fail to follow the company's guidelines, the suit claims.

The lawsuit claims Countrywide's actions caused substantial damage to thousands of appraisers on top of distorting real estate prices in the marketplace.

"The integrity of real estate appraisals is more important than ever and time and time again Countrywide is showing its customers and partners that it only cares about profits and market control," said Steve Berman, managing partner at Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro. "The bottom line is our nation's at a breaking point where we can't take anymore corporate dishonesty in the home market - a role Countrywide's becoming notorious for."

The lawsuit claims Countrywide's interest lies in property passing appraisals its way, rather than determining whether an appraisal is fair and accurate and in accordance with industry standards (Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice or USPAP).

"We believe if an appraiser doesn't 'play ball' with Countrywide and produce a report affirming the value Countrywide expects, it places the appraiser on its 'Field Review List,' or blacklist, which it then sends to mortgage brokers who hire appraisers," said Berman.

As of Aug. 28, 2008, more than 2,000 appraisers appeared on the Field Review List and Countrywide's been using the blacklist practice for more than four years, according to the complaint.

If you or your company is on the list, HBSS would like to hear from you. You can contact HBSS by clicking here, e-mailing [email protected] or calling (206) 623-7292.

Click here to continue reading . . .

Identify Theft: Untangling The Web

By now, many of you have already read the The Columbian story by staff writer Stephanie Rice titled: Caught in ID Theft's 'Horrible Web' 

Rice's story starts out like this . . .

"In typical identity theft cases, the thief goes after a bank account or a line of credit. In Kathy Carpenter's case, the thief was even more bold. A woman took Carpenter's professional identity as a real estate appraiser, using Carpenter's name and license number. She even appraised commercial and million-dollar properties that Carpenter, a residential appraiser, isn't licensed to do. Jean Faye Dodge, former manager of a La Center appraisal company, is now in prison. But Carpenter's troubles aren't over."

Appraisal Scoop caught up with real estate appraiser Kathy Carpenter and asked her to tell appraisers a little more about her story.  I told her that I had been a victim of "minor" identity theft myself and had some idea of the frustrations she's encountered throughout this ordeal.  We hope her tale will alert appraisers, appraisal boards, appraisal organizations and federal agencies on the devastating consequences appraisers face from identity theft.

Kathy tells her story . . .

In these times where appraiser's jobs are difficult enough, mine not only got tough, but for all practical purposes went away.  In addition it forced me to spend "billable hours" sifting through the remains of this well woven web.

The problem was, I knew this person. I had contracted with her company for a few years after the major AVM she represented left town and she continued her appraisal network to funnel work to me and some other appraisers in the area.

The other problem, it was a "virtual" crime of sorts. No one physically took something, or came onto my property, yet the repercussions were farther reaching. There was no compromise of my software, or my computer. It was a simple copy, edit paste (and a bad job of it at that with a barely legible, fuzzy facsimile of my name). It was all too easy.

The renewal of my license every two years in OR/WA seemed to be a joke when I made a call to the Appraiser's boards in each state and they basically said "too bad". Since Jean Faye Dodge wasn't a licensed appraiser, they had no jurisdiction to sanction her or her actions. Yet, they also offered no advice to me, the "law abiding citizen" involved in this the scam.

Even my E&O insurance could give me no guidance. Unless it was an infraction that I had committed; then everyone would have been all over me! So I was forced to schlep off to each and every county (that I knew of) where the fraudulent appraisals were performed.

Time after time, I had to re-tell the story. Sometimes to deputies who had bigger fish to fry, and once to one that used to be a mortgage broker and really understood the plight I was now up against, acknowledging my frustration. I was directed to the FBI, but quickly realized I was a small fish in a large sea. They weren't opening new cases for investigation unless they tallied in the millions, not the thousands or hundreds of thousands.

Click here to continue reading . . .

The Fat Lady Has Sung! The Wertz - WAMU "Blacklisting" Case is OVER!

Perhaps you remember the headlines? 

California Appraiser Sues WAMU, First American, eAppraiseIT, and LSI - Refused to check "Stable"

It was about Jeniffer Wertz, a California licensed real estate appraiser, who filed a 12 count lawsuit against Washington Mutual Bank, First American Corp., eAppraiseIT, Lenders Services (LSI), FNIS, Inc, and Susan Richter.

Appraisal Scoop has learned from Jeniffer Wertz that . . .

"The case has been settled to mutual satisfaction of the parties."

As is usually the case in these instances, that's about ALL that any of the parties can say.  I'm guessing that the amount of settlement and the terms of the agreement will be sealed by the court.  Still, I view this as victory for the "little guy" (or girl) and offer my kudos to Jeniffer for standing up for ALL of us!

I've abstrated and edited portions of the original lawsuit for ease of reading on this blog.  The complete, un-edited document, can be downloaded here: Download WertzPrimarySuit.pdf 

Related News Stories:

• 1/17/08: Money Magazine: WaMu Accused Of Appraisal Fraud
• 1/22/08: WaMu Continues To Take Its Lumps on Appraisal Practices

Author: Brian J. Davis - Brian Davis & Associates - Brian has over 24 years of appraisal experience in Central, IL and hosts the Appraisal Scoop blog and the WinTOTAL Users Group an email forum for appraisers