RCW 18.310.140 Disputes between appraisal management company and appraiser.

(1) Except within the first thirty days after an appraiser is first added to the appraiser panel of an appraisal management company, an appraisal management company may not remove an appraiser from its appraiser panel, or otherwise refuse to assign requests for real estate appraisal services to an appraiser without:

(a) Notifying the appraiser in writing of the reasons why the appraiser is being removed from the appraiser panel of the appraisal management company, including if the appraiser is being removed from the panel for illegal conduct, a violation of state licensing standards, substandard performance, or administrative purposes. In addition, if the removal is not for administrative purposes, the nature of the alleged conduct, substandard performance, or violation must be provided; and

(b) Providing an opportunity for the appraiser to respond to the notification of the appraisal management company.

(2) An appraiser that is removed from the appraiser panel of an appraisal management company for alleged illegal conduct or a violation of state licensing standards, may file a complaint with the department for a review of the decision of the appraisal management company, except that in no case will the department make any determination regarding the nature of the business relationship between the appraiser and the appraisal management company which is unrelated to the actions specified in subsection (1) of this section.

(3) If an appraiser files a complaint against an appraisal management company pursuant to subsection (2) of this section, the department may investigate the complaint within one hundred eighty days during which time the appraiser must remain removed from the panel.

(4) If after opportunity for hearing and review, the department determines that an appraiser did not commit a violation of law or a violation of state licensing standards, the department shall order that an appraiser be restored to the appraiser panel of the appraisal management company that was the subject of the complaint without prejudice.

(5) Following the adjudication of a complaint to the department by an appraiser against an appraisal management company, an appraisal management company may not refuse to make assignments for real estate appraisal services to an appraiser, or reduce the number of assignments, or otherwise penalize the appraiser because of the adjudicated complaint, if the department has found that the appraisal management company acted without reasonable cause in removing the appraiser from the appraiser panel.

[ 2010 c 179 § 13.]